The Unknown Roads of Life
by vittorina0727
Summary: AU: Mercedes used to have the perfect life back in New York. That all changed the moment she moved to the little town of Lima, OH. On her first day of school she met Sam and they quickly became fast friends who harbor secret feelings for each other. Their journey to happiness will be a bumpy one. Will the bumps on the road make them closer or will they drift apart?
1. The Start of Something New

**The Unknown Roads of Life**

Our paths crossed in a way we never expected, that moment changed life as we knew it but together we found the meaning of the unknown roads of life.

* * *

**Mercedes' POV**

Walking the aisles of the William McKinley High were always like a maze game, full of students chatting, others looking for books at their lockers and some just lost in their own little worlds. For me it was a maze of discoveries because I was the new girl and I look like a deer in headlights and even though I was eager to make a good impression and get some friends in the process this school looked like it was distributed into cliques and I did not see myself in any of them.

I found my way into the principal's office and like any new student; I sat and waited for the secretary to organize the last details of my schedule when I heard Principal Figgins call my name.

"Ms. Mercedes Jones, please come into my office there is something I need to tell you before I let you go to enjoy your first day." I looked at him and gently smiled, he had a heavy English accent that made him seem somehow cute and approachable. "Take a seat, please." He politely said. I took a seat and felt like I was at some sort of doctor's appointment and he was going to give me some strange news and then he started talking again. "First, good morning and welcome to McKinley High. I'm excited to have a great student like you enrolled here and I know how difficult changes can be and as a new strategy to get everybody involve and adapted right away we are assigning you a 'buddy'." He smiled like he just has won the Nobel Prize or some crap like that.

I looked at him with confusion and then I manage to say, "I think I am a little too old for that and besides I come from New York, one of the toughest cities out there. I think I can handle myself in this school and this little city of yours." I wanted and try to sound confident but my facial expression gave away the feeling of horror any new student has. I moved to Lima, Ohio about a month and half ago from Manhattan. I was so shocked that I didn't leave my new house in the suburbs of Lima for two weeks and even when I did I didn't make myself approachable in any way. New York was everything for me, everything I wanted was there and great detail, all of that was within walking distance from my amazing home. My life there was perfect, my parents are well known doctors, my dad is a dentist and my mom is a surgeon and they are both damn amazing at what they do. That's the reason I was not surprised when my mother got the offer of being the head surgeon at Lima Medical Center and we all packed our bags and ended up here.

"I understand your hesitation Ms. Jones but it is a new school welcoming policy." Then he stood up and walked to the door to make way for my 'buddy'. I could not be more annoyed by this new school policy, but I have to suck it up and deal with it because Lima, Ohio was going to be my home for quite some time.

I refused to look at first because I was annoyed and then because I was terrified to see who this person was. The worst and craziest thoughts came to my mind until Mr. Figgins made me snap out of them when he was calling my attention for the uncomfortable introduction. When I turned around I thought my eyes were failing and I was going into sort of trance because in front of me was standing the cutest boy I had ever seen. I got lost looking into his green orbs so inviting, tempting and welcoming. Then I look at his whole face making a halt at his mouth, his strangely big mouth totally sexy and kissable. His blonde hair well put on a cute boyish haircut and damn this guy was tall. My heart and mind were racing like crazy and I had to take deep breath to come back to life.

"Hello, my name is Sam Evans and I going to be your 'buddy' and really hope that we can be friends after this whole process is over" His voice was like a melody to my ears and that southern drawl was already killing me. In that moment Sam Evans became the death of me. After staring awkwardly for a few seconds I composed myself and answered "Hello, I'm Mercedes, uh, Mercedes Jones. Yeah, that's my name." I smiled timidly and stretched my hand to answer his intention of a handshake and when our hands touched for the first time I felt so much electricity I thought I was going into cardiac arrest. Yes, Sam Evans was going to be the death of me.

Days went by and Sam I got to know each other very well. He was really great at everything, he played football, he was part of the synchronized swimming team as random as it sounds and he was part of the school's glee club. Sam Evans was a little orchestra man.

"Hey Mercedes, I know we haven't been able to spend time together for quite some time because I've been really busy but I am going to make it up to you tonight. I was wondering if you want to go out for dinner." I was not surprised by his action because for the past months we have been pretty much inseparable making it into the rumor mill as the new and upcoming couple, but we both knew that was not true. Sam and I were friends and besides he only saw me as friend because he was head over heels for this girl, Quinn Fabray, one detail that was killing me inside. I got my books out of my locker and looked at him, his eyes were excited and he had that lopsided grin that made my heart skip a beat or two. "There's something I want to tell you, something so great I can only share it with someone as great as you." With that statement, I just nodded and said, "Ok Sam. I'll go out for dinner. But may I ask is this like a date or just a dinner for two friends to catch up?" Right when those words left my mouth I felt betrayed by my feelings and I was hoping Sam didn't catch my little panic attack. He started laughing and said, "Mercy, a date. No, no, no, no, no. I mean you are a gorgeous girl but for me, Sam Evans, you are a friend, my kickass friend, the one that knows everything about me. From my Avatar's obsession, to my impressions, to my issues with dyslexia, you know everything Sam Evans has to offer." With those words my heart sunk into sadness but I couldn't do anything about it, Sam was my friend and I wanted to keep him in my life even though I wanted him to be so much more.

**Sam's POV**

Coming back for a new school year was always exciting for me. I get to see all my friends and meet new friends. McKinley High was a great school and a great place to be, even with the occasional slushie wars and the other strange events that happen every once in a while. When I got called into the principal's office the very first day I was shocked. Did I do something wrong? Were my grades were so bad I didn't make into my junior year? My mind was going like a Formula 1 car and it was only 7:30 in the morning.

I sat down in the principal's office and blurt out, "Mr. Figgins is something wrong? I mean it is the first day of school and I am already in here. Not fair." Principal Figgins looked amused by my terrified rant and said, "Mr. Evans, you are here because I need a favor from you." He explained me the new 'buddy' system and I was really flattered he chose me as the very first person to put it to practice. He asked me to wait outside until it was my time to meet my new school friend.

While I was in the hallway this vision in purple came to sight. She was short, a body with curves to die for, raven curls that hung just a little bit below her shoulders and a face so angelic and cute. She was perfection personified. I knew she was new at the school and I started to wonder if she was going to be my new 'buddy'. A little time passed and Mr. Figgins came out looking for me and there she was, she looked even more beautiful than before and my heart was skipping beats like crazy but I managed to keep my cool and make the introduction less awkward. I smiled when she said her name and looked so nervous but the moment for me was when we touched for the handshake. Jolts of electricity went through my body and in that moment I knew Mercedes was it for me.

"So, where are you from, Mercedes?" I tried to sound casual.

She was walking those hallways like she knew everything about this school. I was tripping in cloud nine. "I'm from New York, Manhattan to be more specific. I move here because my mother is the new Head Surgeon at Lima Medical Center." She was definitely proud of her mother's accomplishment and I only thought, if she's great as daughter I bet she's going to be a great mother and wife. Yes, I was totally tripping. "Where are you from, Sam? Because the accent is definitely giving you away, boy."

I knew my face was red, not because I was embarrassed but because she was catching so many little details about me in so little time, details not even my best friends could catch. I open my mouth trying to sound sexy, "I'm from Nashville, Tennessee. Southern boy all the way." She smiled at me and I melted like butter in the sun.

Weeks passed and we grew closer and closer, long conversations sharing secrets, likes, dislikes, almost everything, because I couldn't be honest and tell her how I felt, she got the wrong impression that I like Quinn Fabray just because she caught me talking to Quinn by her locker once.

"Mercedes, why are we watching this?" I asked. We were at her place watching one of her favorite movies, Letters to Juliet. She was so into the movie I had to speak up again, "Mercy, why are we watching this, again? We've seen this movie like 5 times already." I have to say I love spending time with her but watching this movie again was plain painful because I wanted to grab her and kiss her senseless just to prove her that a love like that exists but I knew I was going to scare her away and I wanted her around even as a friend.

"Sam, I have to watch this movie at least once a week. This is just a perfect romantic movie to watch with friends, and you are my friend." she said those words without looking at me, it's like her sight was glued to her TV. "Do you think I'm gay? Because this is the kind of movie you watch with a gay BFF," I said and she burst into the most adorable laugh.

"Sam, you are funny and no I don't think you are gay. C'mon you are like in love with Quinn. Everybody can tell. I don't know maybe watching this kind of movies will help you out into managing a way to tell her how you really feel about her." That's the moment when I lost it. I wanted to tell her how wrong she was, that my heart was occupied by her and only her, but she seemed so sure and so uninterested in me, I gave up. I got so frustrated and said, "Mercedes, I just remembered that I have to run to the grocery store to get some stuff for my mom," and with that I left her house and cried for the first time because of a girl.

Weeks went by and I started to keep my distance and guard up around Mercedes, without strangling our relationship but I needed her out of my heart because she kept friend zoning me and it was killing me. I managed to keep myself busy with glee club, football and swimming but I missed her deeply. I missed my other half, my one true friend, the one that knew everything about me and the person that shared everything with me.

One good day I decided I was going to tell her the truth; I was going to pour my heart out and hope for the best. She was at her locker getting her books for fourth period and I walked to her like it was a now or never moment. "Hey Mercedes, I know we haven't been able to spend time together for quite some time because I've been really busy but I am going to make it up to you tonight. I was wondering if you want to go out for dinner." My words came out so smoothly I forgot how nervous I was. She kept looking for her book and I thought that was her way of rejecting me. Then she looked at me and said, "Ok Sam. I'll go out for dinner. But may I ask is this like a date or just a dinner for two friends to catch up?" I didn't know what to say, she was so forward, so direct I panicked, I started laughing and before I could make a fool of myself I opened my mouth and said the stupidest words that have ever left my mouth. "Mercy, a date. No, no, no, no, no. I mean you are a gorgeous girl but for me, Sam Evans, you are a friend, my kickass friend, the one that knows everything about me. From my Avatar's obsession, to my impressions, to my issues with dyslexia, you know everything Sam Evans has to offer." I was so shocked at myself that I wanted to face palm myself for being a total moron. I didn't even know how to fix this and just like that I lost any hope to be a part of Mercedes' life in any way more than a friend. I was in trouble; I killed myself without even trying.

We talked about where to meet, the time and all the other details about the dinner and then we parted ways. I looked back at her as she walked to her class and I couldn't help it, I sighed and said, "Mercedes Jones, you are going to be the death of me, unfortunately you will never know."

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**A/N: **Hello Everybody! This is my very first fic and the very first time I write something but I have to say that after reading a bunch of fics about my favorite OTP I got really inspired and wanted to put myself to the challenge. I know there are so many wonderful writers in this section and I am not trying to compete with any of them, I am just trying to unleash my imagination like the slogan on this site says.

Let me know what you guys think of the story and where do you want this two overly confused friends to go from here. I have a beautiful idea of what I want for them but you guys can decide some of the things that will happen. I am a great listener and I am open to everything.

A big Thanks to Lovessamcedes for helping me getting started and been such a great inspiration. YOU RULE!

Until next time, Vittorina


	2. Friends, Memories and Hope

Here I go again… I am very grateful for the reviews, favorites and follows. I sincerely thought I was not going to get any. You guys really made my day. Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

AU: Mercedes used to have the perfect life back in New York. That all changed the moment she moved to the little town of Lima, OH. On her first day of school, she met Sam and they quickly became fast friends who harbor secret feelings for each other. Their journey to happiness will be a bumpy one. Will the bumps on the road make them closer or will they drift them apart?

Last time I forgot so, here is the disclaimer: I do no own Glee or any of the characters or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills or continuity issues. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to rightful owners.

_Flashbacks will be in italics. __**Songs will be in Bold & Italics.**_

* * *

Chapter 2

**Mercedes' POV**

After I parted ways with Sam, I could not stop thinking about what had just happened. I was sad, confused and totally heartbroken. I made it physically to my Calculus class but my mind was wondering about so much that I blocked any noise that was coming out of all the people inside that classroom. I wanted to rewind that event at the hallway just to try to build my shattered heart again but I knew it was impossible to do it.

"Who am I kidding?" I thought. Sam does not know anything about my feelings for him, about how excited I get whenever we are together even when we are doing things friends would do. "Why, Sam Evans is interested in Quinn?" I do not even know why I even formulated this thought when I already knew the answer. Quinn Fabray is a very beautiful girl, blonde hair, green eyes, she is supermodel thin, extremely popular and extremely talented. She is everything I am not. There is my answer and as painful as it is, it is the ugly truth.

By the time Calculus was over, I was a total mess. My eyes started to fill with tears as I was grabbing my stuff. I wanted to be strong but Sam Evans was making me crumble. A tear fell on top of my desk, it sounded like a heavy raindrop falling on a glass rooftop, and the person that was sitting next to me turned around and looked. I could not bring myself to face the girl but there she was, expecting me to look or say something.

"Mercedes, are you ok?" She asked.

I got the courage to look and she looked worried but I knew she was thanking it was she who saw me like this.

"Do you wanna go somewhere and talk? We've been pretty good friends since you started at this school and I think I can be a good listener." The girl said.

I nodded and said, "Oh Tina, I am about to lose it. I don't know what to do anymore." Tina looked at me confused I could not see her dark brown eyes because she clenched her trademark Asian eyes even more.

"Yes Tina, I would love to go somewhere and talk, but I can't right know and tonight I am supposed to meet Sam for dinner at Breadstix. Wanna meet up tomorrow after school at the Lima Bean?" I have to be honest, after I told her about meeting Sam for dinner and wanting to meet up with her the next day, it made me realize that I should cancel tonight's plan with Sam and go unwind with Tina so I can get some strength to face Sam.

"Sure Mercedes, I can cancel my plans with Mike. You are my friend and I need to be there for you now that you need me. Mike can totally wait." As we walked out of the classroom and into the hallway, I felt blessed that I had someone like her in my life. Now I just needed the perfect gay BFF and my life will be complete.

After I got out of my last class, I walked back to my locker to return my books and meet up with Sam to confirm tonight's dinner. I got to my locker, did everything I needed to but Sam was nowhere to be found. I thought about texting him but I did not want to bother him, so I decided to head home. On my way back, I got a text from Sam,

"_Hey Mercedes, something came up and I need to reschedule our dinner. I am so sorry, but to make it up to you I wanted to invite you to my glee club meeting tomorrow. I do not need to tell you the time and place because you know that. After that, dinner at Breadstix. I give you my word." _

I was sad but I could not do a thing about it. Since I was driving I decided to call him, I was not surprised I went straight to voicemail, "_Hey! You've reach Sam, Sam I am, and yes I don't like green eggs and ham. I can't pick up the phone so please leave a message after the beep. BEEP! Well, not this one, the actual beep. Bye!"_

After I heard the beep, I sort of panicked and just said, "It's ok Sam. I will meet with Tina at the Lima Bean instead and count me in for tomorrow." I hung up and decided to call Tina.

"Hello my dear Tina, I know this is so last minute but Sam canceled our dinner and I was wondering if you wanted to meet up today instead." I wanted to sound casual but she knew me too well.

"Sure darling, meet me up in the next hour", Tina said. I was glad she agreed.

"Thanks Tina, you are the best. See you soon." I stated and with that, we hung up.

I pulled into the parking lot and I felt my heart beating fast because I knew I was not leaving this place without revealing to Tina my true feelings for Sam. I knew I had to share this with someone or this was going to be one difficult ride for me. I walked inside, ordered my classic hot chocolate, and sat on a little booth at the corner of the café. Tina came in a few minutes later, white chocolate mocha in hand.

"So Mercy, I have to admit I am so happy we are finally doing this. I've like you since day one but I totally felt like you only saw me as the Asian girl from Calculus class." She said with a very childish smile that I could not help but laugh.

"My dear Asian girl from Calculus class, ha ha ha. Tina I like you a lot, you seem very calm, collected, trustworthy and as I just discovered funny. The thing is I am always around Sam and he has become sort of my 'go to' friend. So, you have to blame him for us not being able to do this at an earlier time." Saying that, I straighten myself in the comfy booth and took a sip of my drink.

Tina was all in for the business. She took a sip of her drink and spoke, "Tell me what's going on in that kind heart of yours, because girl I can tell there is something going on in there." She was so right, yes, my heart was a mess and the reason for that mess was my friend Sam Evans.

"Girl I don't even know where to start." I said.

"How about, you start from the beginning, LOL." She said.

"Did you just LOL-ed at me?" I was so incredulous; I have never heard anybody using LOL on a regular speaking conversation. I thought that term was used on written conversations only.

"Yes I just did, but don't try to change the subject. Spill the beans beloved New Yorker." She said anxious of my answer. I took a deep breath, counted to 10 and took another breath. I knew this was going to be a long conversation.

"Well… Um… Uh… Tina." I seriously did not know how to start. My mouth was getting drier by the second and I knew that deep inside me I was chickening out. Tina just looked at me, awaiting my answer.

"Ok. I am going to say this once and you have to promise that it will never, ever, ever leave your mouth, even if your life depends on you spilling this information." I took the courage I got from the heat of the moment and continued, "Tina, I like Sam. I like him as friend and as so much more. I've been interested since the day Principal Figgins introduced us but I realized the truth about my feelings a few weeks ago." At that moment, that memory came back to my mind like a vivid movie.

* * *

_It was a typical Friday night in the middle of October, We were talking by his locker about the long night we had ahead of us. We planned to meet up at his house to have dinner, watch movies and just have a great bonding time. Since his parents and siblings were out of town for the weekend, we had the house all to ourselves. We got there just after 5:00pm, we were starving and ordering take-out on a Friday night was going to take forever, so I took matters into my own hands and fixed us an amazing casserole of grown-up mac and cheese with bacon bits and some toasts. We sat down at the table next to the kitchen and chatted while we ate. _

"_So Mercedes, tell me a little bit more about your life. I know you come from Constance Billard School for girls, of which I read is one of the most expensive schools in the country and one of the most competitive academically in the East Coast. I know you are an only child, that your parents are successful doctors and that you can speak Spanish fluently. I also know that you like romantic comedies, Disney movies and that some of your favorite shows are Full House, Smallville and True Blood. Tell me more."_

_I was amused by his expression of triumph and totally captivated but how beautiful his green eyes looked. I smiled and started, "Wow Sam, you really pay attention and know how to do your homework. Are you sure you are a student at McKinley or are you an undercover cop looking for someone at school and I am just a way to get closer to the students? Because in my 16 years of life nobody has ever mention that detail about Constance, ever. But yeah, I guess I can give you a little more insight about me. My complete name is Mercedes Joanne Jones. I'm not a fan of Joanne so that's the reason why I never tell people about it, only my parents use it and it usually happens when I get in trouble." _

_He laughed, placed his hand on my shoulder and said "Girl that happens to all of us. As soon as I hear Samuel Dwight Evans I know I am in serious trouble." _

"_Your middle name is Dwight?" I responded. _

"_Yes. It is my dad's first name. I totally forgot you call him Mr. Evans all the time." He said. _

"_Nice. Anyways, going back to topic… I love traveling. I've been to Europe 3 times in the past 5 years. My favorite country in that continent is Spain. It is so full of culture, history and great soccer matches. Yes, I love soccer and the Spanish League is my ultimate favorite. My favorite team is Real Madrid, the actual champions. My love for Spain inspired me to learn the language and is has become very handful because there are 19 other countries that speak Spanish around the globe." I stated trying to sound sexy and smart. _

"_19?" He said, looking at as if he were the most uneducated person on the planet._

"_Yes but I will get into that later. Music is my life, my motor. I love all kind of music. I tend to listen to everything at least once, because I believe that you can never say that you dislike something if you haven't tried it before. Favorite singer… um… at the top of the list is Whitney Houston, rest in peace. In addition, Mariah, Aretha and I like some Dianna Ross. I am huge fan of Carrie Underwood, Lady Antebellum and Rascal Flatts; their songs are great and beautifully written. I love singing and I intent to get somewhere with that in the future but I do wanna get a degree in case the singing dream backfires on me." I was talking like crazy but there was something so inviting about Sam that made open up badly__._

"_Do you sing? No way! Can you sing a little bit for me?" He asked so nicely that I could not say no._

_I took a deep breath and started._

_**We were as one babe  
For a moment in time  
And it seemed everlasting  
That you would always be mine  
Now you want to be free  
So I'm letting you fly  
Cause I know in my heart babe**__**  
Our love will never die  
Noooohoh!**_

_**You'll always be a part of me**_  
_**I'm a part of you indefinitely**_  
_**Boy don't you know you can't escape me**_  
_**Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby**_  
_**And we'll linger on**_

_**Time can't erase a feeling this strong**_

_**No way you're never gonna shake me**_

_**Ooh darling cause you'll always be my baby**_

"_Wow… whoa… Mercedes… That was so good. Oh my Grilled Cheesus. You are better than I thought. You need to audition for the glee club, ASAP." Sam's face was astonished while he said that and I felt red like a tomato but I was glad my dark skin was hiding all that. _

"_Thanks, it really means a lot but I am not sure about glee club." The reason I did not wanted to join glee club was simple, Quinn Fabray. She was part of that club and I could not see myself seeing Sam drooling over her for the hour we will be meeting, three times a week. _

"_That's ok Mercy, I won't force you but I am not backing down, not now that I know how talented you are. I'll get you some other time." He said and looked at me with a challenging look. "What about your dislikes Mercy?" He continued. _

"_Aren't you a curious one? Fair enough, but remember my turn is coming up soon. My dislikes… Oh, wow! I can't come up with something specifically. What really bothers me the most is the fact that media tends to manage the way we see life and people. That is one thing I wanna change if I ever get the chance to be part of the entertainment business. More than just perform, I wanna create a conscience that you don't have to be a typical way to succeed in life." I felt proud of my words. _

"_Mercy darling, that was deep, honest and truthful. I am glad to have you in my life. NO! Let me rephrase that. I am blessed and for that, I love you." He said with the widest smile. _

"_Thanks Sam. But did you just say that you love me?" I was rambling out of nervousness. _

"…"

"_Sam?" I spoke again, trembling. _

"_Yes Mercedes, I love you very much as a friend." He said looking straight into my eyes with the purest honesty and in that the moment I realized I was head over heels for Sam Evans even though in his eyes I was just his friend._

* * *

"Earth to Mercedes…" Tina said pulling me out of my trance.

"What." I snapped out of my thoughts calmly.

"I just said that I was not expecting the words that just left your mouth, but don't worry your secret is safe with me. Now, the issue in hand is… What do you wanna do about it?" Tina said taking another sip of her know cold drink.

"Tina, there's nothing I can do. He likes Quinn." I said sourly.

"Are you sure? I am with them in glee club and they barely interact, girl. Plus, last time I checked Quinn had a thing for Joe."

"Teen Jesus?" I said.

"Yes." She confirmed.

"Poor Sammy. He's into a one-sided romance." I spitted out depressed.

We kept on talking for hours and when I decided to look for my cellphone, I realized it was almost 9pm and I had to head back home. We walked outside the café and said our goodbyes and I walked back to my lavish SUV, according to everyone at the school, it is not my fault my parents bought me a Range Rover Sport for my 16th birthday. As soon as I sat in the driver's seat and started driving, I thought about what Tina said. Quinn was not interested in Sam and he was into her. In my case, I was dying to be Sam's girlfriend and he could not see that. I got home, got out of the car, took a shower and headed to bed feeling sad and empty but I knew tomorrow was going to be another day and that Sam was going to be there as my loyal friend but then curiosity hit me, "Why would Sam want me to go to his glee club meeting tomorrow?" I thought and little bit of excitement started running through my veins. I texted him goodnight and closed my eyes with a little smile on my face.

**Sam's POV**

I was in class, to be honest I did not even remember which one, I only knew I wanted to find a way to go back in time and rearranged what happened with Mercedes minutes ago. My plan was to invite her to a nice dinner and finally find the courage and words to express my true feelings. I wanted to be Mercy's man, boyfriend and friend. Simply put, I just wanted to be her everything. Now that was going to be one hell of a ride, because I just happen to be suffering from the 'stick foot in my mouth syndrome'. I decided to play the moron game and totally won by 500 miles. I was heartbroken but I was mostly mad at myself. Yes, I was a mess and my face was totally showing it.

I felt a buzzing in my left pocket and got my cellphone out, wishing it was text from Mercedes.

"_Dude, what's going? You look pale. Are you in pain?" _It was a text from Mike, one of my best friends. I knew Mike since we were little; he was my very first neighbor when I moved from Tennessee. We were both in the football team and glee club.

"_No man, I am not in physical pain, but I am in pain." _I replied.

"_What's going on?"_ He insisted.

"_I'm having some issues, but I am not ready to address them."_ I wanted Mike to give me some space but he would not quit without finding out.

"_Meet me after school. Maybe I can help you out." _ Mike added.

"_Ok"._ I answered and went back to look like I was paying attention to the class.

After school, I met Mike by his locker and I felt some relief. I was about to tell someone about my feelings for Mercedes and I knew that a huge weight was going to be lifted from my shoulders.

"Are you ready, Sam?" He asked making sure I was up for the brother-to-brother bonding time.

"Totally dude. I need your advice on something anyways. I think that out of all my friends you are the most capable of helping." I said as we started walking towards the student's parking lot.

"Is it a girl problem?" He asked suspiciously.

"Um… Um… Yeah!" I said somehow defeated because Mike got that issue before I could tell him.

"I knew it." He said, giggling. "I have the perfect idea. Whoever it is, tell her to come to glee club tomorrow." He stated casually.

"What? Why?" I replied so confused and a bit mad because he was taking control of my conversation.

"Why? Because tomorrow you are singing your heart out in front of her and putting yourself out there." Mike was nuts but I liked the idea. I knew Mercedes loves music and this was the perfect way to approach her.

"Whoa Mike, that's a brilliant idea. Let me text her first." I grabbed my phone and texted Mercedes and then I shut it off. I have a long day ahead but tomorrow was the start of something new.

We got to Mike's place in no time and we started figuring out songs I could sing to her. We were immersed into the assignment until Mike stopped and looked at me. "Who is she, Sam? Because I am not helping you to woo a girl that's not even worth it."

I knew I was forgetting a little detail but I was so excited with the idea of singing to Mercedes I totally forgot telling Mike it was her.

"Man, all this is for Mercedes. I've been interested in her since the day we met at Principal Figgins' office. However, I realized this was more than just a crush sometime in the middle of October." Once I said that, that amazing memory came back to me more vividly than before.

* * *

_That amazing Friday, while eating the most delicious grown-up mac and cheese I got the chance to know a little bit more about Mercy. She looked so happy talking about her life that I could not make myself stop with questions and then when I heard her kill that Mariah Carey song I knew my interest for her went to a completely new level, I was in love with her. After we were done with our dinner and organizing the kitchen we found ourselves in the family room watching TV, but it felt like the TV was actually watching us enjoy ourselves. _

"_So Sam, I know you're from Nashville, your dad is an architect and your mom is an engineer and they met while working together at a project in Kansas. I know you have two amazing siblings, Stevie and Stacy and a dog called Pepper. I know you're involved in sports and music and you have been struggling with dyslexia since you were 9, but what else do I need to know about you?" She said looking at me with the cutest smirk that I have ever seen and I could not help but look at her with such awe. _

"_Well Mercy I am nothing out of the ordinary. I am just a 16-year-old boy who loves comic books, Marvel comics are my favorites and I love playing video games. As you can see on the entertainment center we have every console you can imagine." I said as I pointed to the wooden cabinet that was holding all of our electronic consoles. "I love going on fishing trips with my dad and Stevie. We never catch a thing but bonding with them is what really makes me happy. I love playing my guitar and I've been working on some songs for the glee club, because I see myself having a side job as composer." I stated with a lopsided smirk. _

"_A side job as composer? What do you wanna do for a living?" She asked with the most adorable confused look. _

"_I wanna become a doctor, Mercy. I don't know if I wanna be a pediatrician or an oncologist but I know that I wanna be a doctor. Actually, I wanna be part of the program 'Doctors without Borders'. I wanna help put people first more than just becoming a household name in medicine. I do not intent to offend your parents; I can tell they have work so hard for what they have achieved." _

"_Relax Sam… I know what you mean, not all doctors become doctors for the right reasons." She said convinced of my statement. "What other things do you like?" She said with a curious tone. _

"_Well, you already know I am a die-hard fan of Avatar up to the point of learning Na'vi… Oh wow, I just sounded so dorky there." I felt amused by my comment. _

"_Sam… you are a dork. There's no doubt about that." She said in a very comical tone. _

"_Yep! I am dork and a very proud one. Back to topic, I think that pretty much sums up all my likes. I told you I'm just ordinary. My life is not as exciting as yours is." I looked at her so analytical. Her face was gorgeous and I was debating if my favorite feature was her eyes or her lips, but the issue was that they were all so perfect. Mercedes was simply perfect. _

"_What about your dislikes? She asked. _

"_That's easy, for sure. I hate the awful noise of snoring and unfortunately, I live with a person that snores as loud as a bear. I swear my dad was some sort of wild animal in another life, Mercy. I'm pretty sure our neighbors can hear him at some point of the night." I said feeling second-hand embarrassment for my dad but so annoyed that I have to go through this agony almost every night. "Also I dislike Mexican food." At that moment, Mercedes raised her hand making me stop and snapped, _

"_You did not just say that you don't like Mexican food." She said that with her mouth half open surprised at my previous statement. "Have you tried it before?" She ranted. _

"_Look Mercedes, Mexican food looks well put on plates but I don't like the way it smells and yeah, I haven't tried it in my life." I felt smaller than an ant. Her eyes were on mine and I was feeling an urge to kiss her but I could not do it. "Darling, I hope this doesn't put a burden in our friendship." I added, trying to keep our conversation flowing. _

"_Nah, it's not an issue but next Wednesday, you are going to be the guest of honor at my family's weekly Mexican dinner." She said happily. _

"_Your what?" I asked confused. _

"_Every week we have a Mexican dinner because we are huge fans of Mexican food. Last time we went to Mexico mom bought a cooking book and every week she works her magic in the kitchen and I have to tell you, she haven't disappoint me yet."_

_At that moment, I felt like I was visiting cloud nine again. She always found ways to bring us closer and that was making me fall for her even harder._

* * *

"Sam, where are you?" Mike said making me shake my head and realize that I was out for quite some time.

"Sorry dude, I was thinking about the moment I realized I wanted Mercedes to be the owner of my heart." I said.

"Ok... I totally understand. I get lost thinking about Tina every once in a while too." He added smiling.

"Mike, I think I have the perfect song. I wanna sing 'For You I Will' by Teddy Geiger." I said.

"Sam, that's a great song and reflects everything you are going through, good choice, bro. Now let's work on the little details." Mike was genuinely happy for me.

We worked on everything until 11pm and even though I was tired, I was pleased with what we came up with. I drove home, took a shower and turn on my cellphone. I heard Mercedes voicemail and I was happy she had plans with Tina and that she agreed to meet me at glee club tomorrow. A little bit after that, I got her daily goodnight text message, I answered back and went to bed with a huge smile on my face because I knew that my brilliant plan was going to work. I knew that by the end of the day Mercedes Joanne Jones was going to be mine.

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**A/N: **Hope you guys like this crazy idea that is my story. Again, reviews are always welcome. I wanna improve and your comments feed me with inspiration and make me work harder to come up with great ideas for this lovely confused friends.

A Big Thanks to my Beta Rose, you rock girl! And thanks for letting me borrow the syndrome. :)

Until next time, Vittorina!


	3. For You I Will

Hey! I'm back... It took me a little more than expected but here's a new update. I really hope you guys like it. Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews, they really mean everything to me and they always put a smile on my face. Keep them coming. :)

Last chapter I totally forgot to write that I used a fragment of Mariah Carey's 'Always Be My Baby' I really don't feel like getting myself sued. Things can happen, you know! On this chapter I used 'For You I Will' by Teddy Geiger. _**(Lyrics are written in Bold & Italics)**_

Just to remind you: AU: Mercedes used to have the perfect life back in New York. That all changed the moment she moved to the little town of Lima, OH. On her first day of school, she met Sam and they quickly became fast friends who harbor secret feelings for each other. Their journey to happiness will be a bumpy one. Will the bumps on the road make them closer or will they drift them apart?

**Disclaimer**: I do no own Glee or any of the characters or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills or continuity issues. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to rightful owners. I still have some hope for Samcedes on S4, let's keep on the prayers!

* * *

Chapter 3

**Sam's POV**

I woke up feeling something indescribable running though my veins. I was happy, I was scared, I wanted to jump up and down in my room but another part of me wanted to hide inside my closet. One thing I was sure of was that I was nervous… actually terrified. I was putting myself out there, my heart will be front and center in front of my friends from glee club but most importantly in front of her, my Mercedes. What will happen if she does not feel the same way about me? What will happen if this action ruins our friendship? What will happen if she does feel the same way? Could I find the courage to ask her to be my girlfriend? Will I choke and make a fool of myself? My mind was running 100 miles per second. I looked at myself in the mirror and I realized I looked pale, colorless and lifeless. I was panicking and I was chickening out.

"Sam Evans, c'mon, you are a grown up kid. This is Mercedes, the girl who has been your best friend since you met her. The same girl that has always made you feel comfortable and understood. The same Mercedes, that stole your heart on the first day of school. The one you love and see yourself marrying and getting old with." I told myself trying to build some confidence.

The first hours of the morning were the slowest, it made me mad that every time I had something important to do, time just randomly decides to pass by slowly. At 10:00am, I decided to text Mercedes, to get her vibe about today's events and just to get in touch with her because I did not get the chance to see her before first period. I was going to practice one last time during lunch break and for the first time since I knew Mercedes we were spending lunch apart, my performance needed to be perfect to make me feel comfortable about my decision.

From what I could tell from the texts we have exchanged, she was excited about spending time with me but I knew that her curiosity was killing her. One thing I was sure of is that Mercedes, was in for a treat no matter what the outcome of this little adventure is. It was the first time I was going to perform in front of her and I wanted to confirm that Mr. Shuester had made a good choice of letting me have a solo at the upcoming Sectionals competition.

"_Mike, are we still meeting up at lunch for rehearsal?"_ I did not see Mike before class today and I knew how forgetful he could be so I texted him to remind him of our plans to rehearse.

"_Man, no worries… I've already reserved the auditorium. I set up a reminder because I knew you were going to freak out if I didn't show." _ He replied.

Lunch break finally arrived and I could not be more excited about the last rehearsal. I needed everything to be perfect because my life was going to take a drastic change in a few hours. I met Mike by his locker to make sure he was ready. As soon as I got into his view, he looked at me annoyingly.

"Dude, really… are you like stalking me now?" He said.

"No." I said, my cheeks red with embarrassment.

"Sam, I'm kidding… Relax. Everything's gonna be fine." He added.

We were walking towards the auditorium when we ran into our girls, Mercedes and Tina.

"Hey girls! Where are you girls heading to?" Mike asked.

Tina looked at him suspiciously. "We are going to have lunch off-campus. I want some Panera Bread and Mercy gladly agreed."

"It was more like; you either agree or agree kind of deal." Mercedes added with the beautiful smile that characterizes her.

I wanted to be part of the conversation but at the same time I needed to keep it short so I added, "That's great girls. We are going to let you go since Mike and I have something to work on right now. Have fun." I gave Mercy my lopsided smirk and started walking towards the auditorium.

Once in the auditorium I felt like I was about to pass out. My hands were sweating like crazy and I could not even hold my guitar properly. That was the moment Mike took matters into his own hands, he took the guitar from me and started playing it. I was shocked at the fact that he actually play.

"Is this a dream? I didn't know that you could play a guitar Mike? You kept that talent well hidden."

"Playing the guitar is something I do more as a hobby. Dancing is my real passion." He said.

I was still in awe at the talents that Mike possessed.

It was finally time for glee club. I walked in to find Mercedes having an animated conversation with Kurt. I sat next to her and she turned around to look at me and said, "Well, here I am. Why am I here?" She asked in a curious tone.

"Mercy, you just have to wait and see. I really hope you enjoy it, though." I said trying to not to give away any kind of weird vibe. I was nervous; no I was actually terrified.

Tina and Mike walked in and sat right behind us. Mr. Shue walked in grinning as usual and seconds later took over the meeting. "Before we start with what we have planned for today. I would like to invite Sam to the front because he has something special to present to us today. Come on up, Sam."

As soon as those words left his mouth I froze but then I felt a warm touch on my shoulder and I looked at her, she gave me a look that said "Go on. Don't be nervous, I'll be here. Don't be scared."

I stood up in front of the group and looked at Mike, he mouthed, "I'm ready whenever you are…" The moment had arrived.

"Hi guys… I'm sorry I'm interrupting glee club for something so personal but what I am about to say through this song was long overdue. Mercedes Joanne Jones, this one's for you." And with that Mike started playing the first notes and I forgot where I was, I forgot about everyone else, in that moment it was just Mercedes and I.

_**Wandering the streets, in a world underneath it all  
Nothing seems to be, nothing tastes as sweet  
As what I can't have  
Like you and the way that you're twisting your hair  
round your finger  
Tonight I'm not afraid to tell you  
What I feel about you.**_

_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**and cannon ball into the water**_  
_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you I will**_

_**Forgive me if I st-stutter**_  
_**From all of the clutter in my head**_  
_**Cause I could fall asleep in those eyes**_  
_**Like a water bed**_  
_**Do I seem familiar, I've crossed you in hallways**_  
_**a thousand times, no more camouflage**_  
_**I want to be exposed, and not be afraid to fall.**_

_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**And cannon ball into the water**_  
_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**You always want what you can't have**_  
_**But I've got to try**_  
_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you**_

_**If I could dim the lights in the mall**_  
_**And create a mood I would**_  
_**Shout out your name so it echoes in every room, yeah**_

_**That's what I'd do,**_  
_**That's what I'd do,**_  
_**That's what I'd do,**_  
_**To get through to you**_

_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**And cannon ball into the water**_  
_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**You always want what you can't have**_  
_**But I've got to try**_  
_**I'm gonna muster every ounce of confidence I have**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you I will**_  
_**For you I will**_

I looked at Mercedes and she was in tears, I did not know if she was touched by the lyrics of the song, sad or confused. I walked towards her, kneeled down and wiped away the tears that fell from her brown orbs. I stared at her and like it was the most natural thing to do, I kissed her with every emotion I had inside and to my amazement, she kissed me back. After we pulled apart, I stood up, took her hand and helped her to stand up and then I said, "Mercedes Jones, you're everything I've ever wanted. I need you as I need oxygen. You give my life a purpose because you fill it with happiness. Would you like to take what we have to the next level?" I was so nervous I started rambling

Santana caught me off guard and said, "Really Trouty, who says the next level? Just ask the question the way it should be." She rolled her eyes at me and added, "Lisa Rinna, definitely has no game."

I laughed at the comment without breaking my gaze from Mercedes and then I replied, "Shut up Santana. I'm nervous and this is the first time I'm doing something like this. Anyways, back to you Mercedes, what do you say? Do you wanna be my girlfriend?"

Mercedes was looking at me and I know she was looking for words to express herself. When she opened her mouth, I could not believe what happened. She said,

"Sam… um… oh… wow… I think I'll get back to you with an answer later, see you later at Breadstix."

She released her hand from mine and ran out of the choir room, leaving me there standing with a troubled expression.

**Mercedes' POV**

Friday morning took forever to arrive. To make matters worse, I woke up at 3:30am. When I saw Sam's message, my excitement went through the roof. Today was the day that Sam had invited me to his glee club meeting for the first time and after that, we were going to have dinner at Breadstix. This Friday was going to be a day to remember, definitely. Putting all my romantic feelings aside, I was happy because I was going to have the chance to spend some quality time with my friend for the first time in weeks.

When 6:30am finally came, I got out of bed and walk to my bathroom for my morning routine, I showered and pampered myself. By 7:15am I was out, I decided to make my bed and finally I walked to my closet to look for something to wear. The weather was changing as December approached; chilly mornings were common and all the winter clothing was making a comeback. I settled for a V-neck long sleeved black shirt, dark wash skinny jeans, a winter jacket and my favorite Coach boots. For the final addition I wrapped a purple scarf around my neck and put on a multi-color beanie hat. My hair was down as usual but it was straight, instead of my normally loose curls.

I went downstairs to find my parents leaving for work, we had a short conversation where I told them about today's plans; they were happy I was spending some time with Sam. I walked to our kitchen to get some breakfast; I decided to fix myself a bowl of cereal with milk, a small glass of orange juice and a small banana. I left my house at 7:50 with enough time to spare since I lived 15 minutes away from school, the bell rang at 8:30am for first period.

I got to school and saw that Tina was in the students' parking lot talking with a boy I have seen around school but have not been introduced to. I walked towards them and greeted Tina,

"Good morning, Tina! How are you this morning?" I said joyfully.

"Oh hey Mercedes, I'm good. How are you?" She was sporting her usual smile.

"I'm good." I turned to face the boy that was talking to her and decided to introduce myself. "Hello, I'm Mercedes; what's your name?" I asked.

"My name is Kurt Hummel, I'm a senior and I need to add that I love your sense of style. Simple but very chic and I love those Coach boots. They are so adorable." He said giving me a look of confidence that reminded me of Tim Gunn from Project Runway.

"It's nice to meet you, Kurt. You have an amazing taste also. That Burberry blazer is to die for." He was wearing a black Burberry blazer from the winter's collection that costs more than the rent of a 1-bedroom apartment in Lima. Kurt was one of the few students that were openly gay at McKinley.

We walked together to school, grab our books and parted ways when the bell rang.

This day was dragging itself so slowly that it was killing me. It was only 10:00am and for the first time in years; I wanted Spanish class to b R. Señor Martínez, was an excellent teacher but today my mind was busy thinking about Sam, what was going to happen today and at our dinner? I was thinking of telling him the truth about my feelings but I had mixed feelings about telling him because it was the first time in weeks that we were going to hangout.

My phone started to buzz and I jumped a little bit because I was concentrating on my thoughts. I had two messages; the first one was from Tina,

"_Wanna meet up for lunch?" _

"_Sure. :) " _

The second message was from Sam. My heartbeats became faster and a smile plastered automatically on my face.

"_Hey Pretty Young Thing, how are you?" _ I giggled lowly at his use of the Michael Jackson song. He definitely knew how to make me happy.

"_I'm bored because I can't concentrate on my classes but besides that I'm good. How's math?" _I replied.

"_Math's ok. I can't concentrate on anything today. I'm quite excited about glee club today and the fact that you're going to be there makes me feel elated." _Sam was on a roll today, he was using all the perfect words to keep my heartbeat rising.

"_I'm excited because we are going to spend some time together, finally. I really miss my friend." _I answered. _"Sorry I have to cut this short but I don't wanna get in trouble, Señor Martínez, is curiously looking at me. TTYL."_ I tried to sound more interested in our after school dinner than anything else because I did not know the real reason of the glee club meeting invite.

Lunch break arrived and Tina decided she wanted to go for lunch off-campus. She wanted some Panera Bread and I just wanted to be away from school for a little while.

We ran into Mike and Sam in the hallway, we talked until Sam decided to cut the conversation short. His attitude bugged me. Why was he avoiding talking to me face to face? Tina and I hurried to my SUV and got to Panera in record time. We ordered our lunch and took a seat at one of the tables by the glass window in front of the establishment. We were talking about Sam's invite, how things between Mike and her were and our plans for Christmas time. I was totally fond of Tina, she was one truest human being I've ever met.

Classes after lunch were over in a blur and I could not be happier. I walked to the choir room and sat down on the first row, next to Kurt.

"Hey girl, what are you doing here? I mean it's not that your presence is bothering me or anything but I've never seen you around."

I smiled and answered, "Sam invited me today. I'm guessing that he has something to show me."

"He probably wants to put on a show, you know. He got the male lead for the upcoming Sectionals." He said.

"Oh! I didn't know about that." I added amazed. Things were looking up for Sammy.

"Oh crap. I think I ruined his surprise then. He probably invited you to show you what he can do and to tell you about his contribution to the club." He said mortified because he thought he screwed up whatever Sam had planned.

Sam walked him with a lovely smile on his face even though I could tell he was nervous. I kept myself busy with Kurt until I felt he took the seat next to me. I turned around to face him I asked him one last time why he invited me over to glee club. He told me that I had to wait and see. I was alarmed; I was seriously walking into an unknown territory.

Mr. Shuester took the floor and introduced Sam. Sam was petrified in his chair, so I gave him a silent push he needed and he finally stood up. He took his place and when he spoke, I thought I was going to pass out. He was dedicating me 'For You I Will'. I knew that song by heart and I could not believe he was going to sing that song to me.

Mike started playing the guitar, one amazing thing I did not know about him and Sam started to sing. He was pouring his heart out, telling me that he felt the same way I have been feeling about him since that day in October. I was the one he wanted not Quinn Fabray, who I caught watching the whole scene with the biggest and most sincere smile I have ever seen. With that action all my doubts were gone, there was Sam telling me it was I whom he wanted all along.

I locked my gaze with his and soon enough tears were freely falling down my cheeks. I felt Kurt's arm over my shoulders and then he got close and whispered, "Well, this is the one thing I was totally not expecting from Sam. I'm glad I did not ruin this beautiful moment, entirely." I shyly smiled.

When Sam ended his performance, he walked towards me and kneeled in front of me. He wiped my tears away. The touch of his hands in my face felt different, I could not describe it. At that moment Sam Evans became the person I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. He leaned closer and kissed me. That kiss was everything I wanted and more, at first, I was unsure of how to respond to the kiss but then I decided to let my feelings guide me. It was the most romantic moment of my life.

When he pulled away and helped me to stand up, I was not expecting the things that came out of his mouth. Those words were so beautiful, so meaningful and so perfect. But everything shifted for me the moment he asked to be his girlfriend, I was not prepared for that, no yet. I wanted to tell him about how I felt, since when my feelings for him changed and I wanted this relationship to start the right way so, after a few seconds of consideration I took the courage and told him that I was planning on giving him my answer later. I knew it was a shocking move but I needed to express myself.

I released my hand and ran out of the choir room; I was a girl on a mission. I knew exactly what I wanted to do now I just needed to make it happen.

First stop, Breadstix.

* * *

**A/N: **Things are looking up for these two, right? What do you guys think? Did you guys loved it or hated it? What do you guys think Mercedes will do? I can't wait to hear your thoughts, opinions and suggestions.

I don't know when I am going to be able to update the next chapter but I hope to have it ready by Thursday or Friday.

As always I would like to thank my amazing and patient Beta, Rose. You have always been so kind to me even when I bombard you with so many silly questions at strange hours. YOU ROCK!

Until next time, Vittorina


	4. Terrified

Hello, Hello! I'm back... Hopefully you all like this new update of the story... it has a little bit of everything but it's mainly fluff, just the way I like it... Again thanks for the support, reviews and pretty much anything that makes me smile every time I get an alert... :) You guys are the best...

AU: Mercedes used to have the perfect life back in New York. That all changed the moment she moved to the little town of Lima, OH. On her first day of school, she met Sam and they quickly became fast friends who harbor secret feelings for each other. Their journey to happiness will be a bumpy one. Will the bumps on the road make them closer or will they drift them apart?

**Disclaimer**: I do no own Glee or any of the characters or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills or continuity issues. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to rightful owners. I'm still fangirling over the pretty yellow binder... "My Only Love, Sam"

In this episode I used the song Terrified by Katharine McPhee. There are two versions of this song... One where she sings the song by herself and the other one is a duet with Zachary Levi. If you get a chance listen to any of the versions of the song while reading the chapter they will get you to the fluff sky in no time. ;) _**(Lyrics are written in Bold &**_** Italics)**

* * *

Chapter 4

**Mercedes' POV**

I was a girl on a mission. I needed to make sure Sam's wait was not going to be in vain. I got in my car, made a few phone calls and drove to Breadstix. Once I arrived, I asked to speak with the general manager of the local restaurant. I wanted to surprise Sam the same way he did at the choir room.

"Good afternoon young lady, what can I do for you today?" the general manager asked.

"Hello, my name is Mercedes Jones and I need to ask for a favor." I said almost whispering.

He looked at me kindly and said, "Are you Dr. Deborah Jones' daughter?"

"Yes sir, I am. Why?" I asked surprised.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that she was the doctor that operated on my son, Kevin about a month ago and we are so grateful with her I just want you to let her know how thankful we are. Would you tell her?" He said.

"Sure, I'll tell her. What's your name?" I asked happily. I knew my mom was a great doctor but someone else tell me how grateful they are because of something she did made feel proud of her.

"Richard Gerber. Now, about that favor that you needed to ask me?" he said going back to the important topic.

I explained to him about what happened with Sam at school and I was stunned he was paying me the same attention my dad would pay me when I was having a conversation with him. I told him about the idea I had in mind and how the facilities of the restaurant were perfect for everything. Breadstix was the Olive Garden of Lima but one big difference it has, was the little stage placed at the end of the restaurant where aspiring singers go and try their luck. At the end of the conversation, he agreed to help me and I started setting up everything. After I was done, I got in the SUV, drove home and decided it was time to get ready for my dinner with Sam.

I knew I had to look flawless so I went straight to my closet to look for something to wear. It was a chilly night but I wanted to use a sleeveless black dress that fell down to my knees. I added a purple long sleeved cardigan and some not so flashy jewelry. Also, I decided to wear my new black Manolo Blahnik pumps.

I walked to my bathroom, looked at myself in the mirror and then said, "Well Mercedes this is your moment, make it one to remember." I took a shower and while enjoying it, I let all my excitement out dancing, screaming, singing and just being silly. I was extremely happy.

When I got out of the shower, I walked back to my room and I saw that the screen of my phone lit up. It was a text from Sam,

"_Hey Mercedes, I think we should meet at Breadstix, instead of meeting up at your house. Be there at 7."_

I was sad and confused. I was planning to have a little conversation with him on our way to the restaurant but now he was cutting our time short.

"_Ok. But may I ask… Are you ok?" _

It took only 5 minutes to get a reply but for some reason it felt like an hour.

"_Actually I don't know." _

Sam was mad, I could tell. I know I left the choir room oddly, leaving Sam with his heart almost broken but my intention was simple, he needed to understand what lived in my heart, but telling him in front of his classmates was not great scenery.

I got dressed quickly, put on some make-up and decided to head downstairs, I walked into my dad's office and found him working on his laptop.

"Daddy, do you have a minute?" I asked standing by the door.

"Sure sweetie. Aren't you supposed to have dinner with Sam tonight?" My dad said. My dad was the most attentive, smart and attractive man that walked the earth, no wonder he knew how to conquer my stubborn mother, but besides all that he was the best dad any girl could ask for. "Mercy, is everything ok? Did Sam stood you up?" He said sounding a bit mad.

"No dad, everything is on schedule. But, I think Sam is mad at me. There's something I need to tell you and that's the reason I got ready a bit early, so I could chat with you before a leave." I said a little discomfited.

"What happened? What did you do?" He asked me, giving me the 'how bad did you screw it up this time' look.

I told him the whole story of everything that went down in the choir room and he was a bit shocked. He did not say a word; he just nodded or shook his head. His expression was unreadable, but I knew it was hard for him to handle that his daughter's best friend is now interested in her and she feels the same way about him. In addition, I knew he could not face the fact that I was a teenager and something like this was going to happen eventually. When I got to the part of me leaving the room after telling Sam I was not ready to give him an answer, he spoke, "Darling, he's mad at you. You wounded his ego. No man expects his woman to run away from him after a proposition. That was not a very smart move from you." I screwed up.

"Crap. Hopefully I'll get a chance to fix this tonight." I told my dad about my plans and even though he was a bit skeptical, he wished me luck. I needed heaven's help to get through Sam's anger.

"Baby, you need to go now. If he is as mad as I think he is, he will not wait for you more than five minutes." My dad alleged.

I kissed my dad in his forehead and I left my house praying I could change whatever ill fate my stupidity wrote for me hours earlier.

I arrived at Breadstix exactly at 7pm and the parking lot was packed. I got a glimpse of Sam's BMW and my dad's words crossed my head again, he was wounded. I panicked. It was now or never but the fact that the restaurant was packed and I knew the first minutes around Sam were going to be awkward beyond any explanation made my stomach churned. I got out of my horrible thoughts because my phone buzzed, another text from Sam,

"_Where r u?" _I felt he was getting impatient.

"_I'm walking towards the restaurant." _I answered.

As soon as I walked in, I thought my legs were going to give up on me. There he was looking more striking than ever. I was falling deeper and deeper for him.

"Hey Mercedes. Sorry I sounded too impatient it's just that the hostess would not give me our table if you were not here." He sounded ok, but I know something was about to go down.

"That's ok, Sam." I did not know what else to say.

Sam approached the restaurant's hostess and told her that the rest of his party had arrived and she promptly took us to our table. As soon as we sat down I felt like running to the restroom, facing Sam after how I reacted was taking a toll on me.

"Mercedes, I hate to cut to the chase… but what the hell happened to you this afternoon?" And just like that I was sobbing.

"Sam I have an explanation for that, but I need you to be patient for a few more minutes."

"Are you kidding me Mercedes? I'm the one that got stood up by the girl of my dreams and let's not forget in front of my friends, and you are asking me for more time. Mercedes I need an answer and I need it now. I know that you have some feelings for me, I felt them the moment you kissed me back, why are you holding yourself back?" He was eyeing me with desperation; putting himself out there again.

"Sam, I'll be right back. I need to freshen up". I stood up and walked towards the restroom and as soon I knew he was not looking I took a detour and walk to the manager's office. I knocked at the door, he told me to walk in and as soon as I saw the manager, I told him I was ready. My plan was set in motion, no time to back down.

I walked back to the table and Sam looked at me with anger, disappointment and confusion. "Are you ready to give me your answer, I don't feel like dragging another minute." His tone was bitter.

"Sort of. What I am about to tell you explains everything but before I start talking I need you to close your eyes and count till 10." This was it, my moment.

"Ok." He closed his eyes and started counting "1, 2, 3…" I left the table, walked to the stage, and took my place.

"Hello… um… Everyone. My name is Mercedes Jones and I am here to sing my heart out to the love of my life Sam Evans." The music begins and I saw the manager dimming the lights at the restaurant giving it a more romantic atmosphere. Then I looked at Sam his eyes were already filled with tears.

_**You by the light  
Is the greatest find  
In a world full wrong you're the thing that's right  
Finally made it through the lonely to the other side**_

You set it again, my heart's in motion  
Every word feels like a shooting star  
I'm at the edge of my emotions  
Watching the shadows burning in the dark,  
And I'm in love and I'm terrified.  
For the first time in the last time  
In my only life.

This could be good  
It's already better than that  
And nothing's worse than knowing  
You're holding back  
I could be all that you needed  
If you let me try

You set it again, my hearts in motion  
Every word feels like a shooting start  
I'm at the edge of my emotions  
Watching the shadows burning in the dark  
And I'm in love and I'm terrified  
For the first time in the last time  
in my only

I only said it cause i mean it  
I only mean cause it's true  
So don't you doubt what i've been dreaming  
Cause it fills me up and holds me close  
Whenever i'm without you

You set it again my hearts in motion  
Every word feels like a shooting star  
Watching the shadows burning in the dark  
And I'm in love and I'm terrified  
For the first time in the last time  
In my only life

_**Life, **_

_**Life, **_

_**In my only life **_

Everybody stood up clapping and cheering and I got seriously overwhelmed. This was not a spectacle for them; it was my confession to Sam, but their genuine cheering felt good. But most importantly this was my way of saying to Sam, 'yes I want to be your girlfriend'. I walked to our table and sat across of him. Sam was wiping away his tears when I looked at him.

"Ok Sam, I know I was a total butthead this afternoon but it's just that I wanted to say so much and I could not find the right words, so I decided to do this. It was kind of unrehearsed and spontaneous but I'm guessing it worked out." He looked at me fondly, stood up and sat next me. He grabbed my face and kissed me. This time it was more passionate, more possessive but at the same time more romantic.

After I pulled away, he said, "I'm so sorry I was giving you such a hard time, my ache blinded me. Is this your way of saying yes?" He gave me an optimistic look.

"Yes. Yes, Sam I would love to be your girlfriend. Actually, I've wanted to be yours since that night we had that heart-to-heart at you place, when your parents were out of town. That was the day I fell in love with you." I declared.

"Really? Oh my God. You don't know how happy I am. And… well… um… There's something I need to add, that was the night I fell in love with you too." He said coyly.

I could not help myself so I kissed him again. It was something I could not see myself prevent from doing any time soon. He was everything I wanted, everything I needed and I was blessed I finally had him.

**Sam's POV**

She walked away. She said she was going to answer later. Was I too forward? I could not react; I did not try to stop her. She just left. I felt my heart stop beating for like a minute. I felt like I died. Tears filled my eyes and I felt my legs giving way. I managed to find my chair and took my place in it. I felt someone's hand wrapped up in mine, I did not bother to look at the person.

"Sam, are you ok? Sam, please say something." It was Quinn.

I jerked my hand from hers and I said, "Do I look ok? I think I just got rejected by the girl I like because she thinks I like you." I explain angrily.

"She thinks you like me? What the fuzzy? You barely speak to me and when you do, it's all about glee club. Plus, I thought everybody in this school knew I have a thing for Joe."

"You do?" I asked intrigued.

"That is not the issue at hand, Sam. My question is; why would she think you like me after what you did? After the kiss you gave her, everyone in this room fully agrees that it was reciprocated one." She said realistically.

"Look you… girls are extremely complicated. Too be honest I don't know what could be going through her mind as we speak. All I know is… um… she is making me mad, because she embarrassed me in front of all of you." I said. "Actually Quinn, I don't feel like talking to anybody right now." I added frustrated.

"It's alright Sam. You need space but if it's any consolation, I think she really likes you and she didn't know how to react. Don't give up just yet." She said with a hopeful stare.

"Yeah, whatever… Quinn." I was aggravated.

After a couple of minutes, I decided it was time for me to leave glee club. I asked Mr. Shue if I could be excused from glee, he kindly agreed. I needed time to think, time to unwind.

I got home, flung myself in my bed and cried. I cried because of Mercedes, once again. I started to wonder if she was really worth the wait, I was aching because of her and I still needed to face her at dinner. I thought about canceling our meeting but then I analyzed, "I am not the coward, I am not the one that ran away. It was her." I thought audibly.

"Sam, what's going on?" My mom was standing in the doorframe of my room.

"Nothing." She stared at me questioningly.

"Nothing? What happened with Mercedes? I know you. You only get like this because of her."

Damn, she knew me too well.

"Well I went through with the plan I told you about this morning but she didn't gave me the answer I was looking for." I gave her a sad look.

"I'm so…" I cut her off. "Mom she didn't gave me an answer. She said she was going to have an answer later. She's playing the waiting game."

"Oh, sweetheart, I think she's just scared of the change that your proposition represents. I see the way she looks at you, son. Actually, you two remind me of how things started between Dwight and me." My mom was slowly making me feel calm down.

"What should I do?" I asked.

"For starters, go have dinner with her like you planned but instead of picking her up, let her get there on her own. I don't think it's going to be good for any of you to be inside one car dealing with all this emotions and the awkwardness that come with them."

"That's ok. I'm going to text her now." I took my phone and texted her. I got her reply and right away, I got another text where she asked me if I was ok. After waiting 5 minutes, I answered that I did not know, which, was the truth.

I took a 45 minutes nap and when I woke up I felt a bit uneasy but I needed to face her, I needed my answer. I took a shower and walked to my room. It was going to be a chilly night so I decided to wear warm but nice-looking clothes.

I got on my car and drove to the restaurant, it was strangely packed, but I was glad I made a reservation earlier that week. I stood up in front of the hostess and told her about my reservation but she denied me the table because Mercedes was nowhere to been seen. I was annoyed. I texted her and I was pleased she told me she was almost at the door. The moment I saw her walked in, I died. She looked beautiful from head to toes. She was perfect and I wanted her to be mine, really mine.

"Hey Mercedes. Sorry I sounded too impatient it's just that the hostess would not give me our table if you were not here." I sounded ok, but I know something was about to go down.

"That's ok, Sam." I knew she did not know what else to say.

As soon as we sat down, I lost it. I questioned her about what happened, she started crying but I could not stop.

"Are you kidding me Mercedes? I'm the one that got stood up by the girl of his dreams and let's not forget that it happened in front of my friends, and you are asking me for more time. Mercedes I need an answer and I need it now. I know that you have some feelings for me, I felt them the moment you kissed me back, why are you holding yourself back?" My rage came back faster than a bullet.

She excused herself to go to the restroom and I got angrier, I was seriously questioning her sanity. "Why does she keep running away?" I thought.

Those minutes she was away, I missed her deeply. I knew my attitude was not good but my desperation was taking over. I knew our friendship changed the moment I stood in front of her this afternoon and I knew I was either going to get a closer relationship with her or I was losing her forever. That was it for me; I knew it was going to be painful to have her as a friend when I wanted to love her with all my heart.

She came back to the table sporting a different expression, she was calm, collected and actually, she looked excited. I, on the other felt angry, disappointed and confused. I got right back into topic and asked her, "Are you ready to give me your answer, I don't feel like dragging another minute." There she goes again with her ambiguous answer.

"Sort of. What I am about to tell you explains everything but before I start talking I need you to close your eyes and count 'till 10."

This was getting out of hand. She wanted me to count 'till 10. 'What the heck' I thought, but then I gave her the benefit of a doubt. Maybe she needed a couple of seconds to compose herself. I closed my eyes and started counting, "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10." I opened my eyes and she was not at the table but then I heard her voice, I turned around to see her at the stage of the restaurant saying that she was going to sing a song, and that song was dedicated to me, the love of her life. I felt my cheeks getting red and my eyes started to well up with tears. Yes, I was about to cry again but this time it was out of pure bliss.

She sounded amazing. She looked amazing. She was the cream rising to the top and she was telling me that even though she was terrified, she was in love with me. I could not be happier. After all the misunderstandings, the mixed signals and everything else that decided to fall into our paths, our feelings were out, reciprocated and getting bigger and deeper by the passing of just seconds. After she finished everyone in the room was on their feet clapping and cheering. I felt proud of her. At that moment, I wanted to run to stage and kissed her but she was already walking towards me.

She sat across from me and stared into my green eyes, her actions made me nervous. There was so much that needed to be said but I did not know where to start. There she was, looking so stunning and all I could think of was kissing her lips.

She decided to break the ice this time, "Ok Sam, I know I was a total butthead this afternoon but it's just that I wanted to say so much and I could not find the right words, so I decided to do this. It was kind of unrehearsed and spontaneous but I'm guessing it worked out."

I looked at her in the loveliest manner I could manage; I got the courage to stand up and sat on her side of the booth. I kissed her passionately.

After she pulled away, I managed to complete a thought and said, "I'm so sorry I was giving you such a hard time, my ache blinded me. Is this your way of saying yes?" I asked optimistic.

"Yes. Yes, Sam I would love to be your girlfriend. Actually, I've wanted to be yours since that night we had that heart-to-heart at you place, when your parents were out of town. That was the day I fell in love with you." She declared and I felt like screaming 'Yeah, she finally said yes. Mercedes Jones is mine', but I decided not to, so I added,

"Really? Oh my God. You don't know how happy I am. And… well… um… There's something I need to add, that was the night I fell in love with you too." I admitted coyly.

At that moment, she kissed me again and I became the happiest 16-year-old guy in this planet. I had the perfect girlfriend, best friend and companion. Mercedes Jones was all those things and more.

We had a lovely dinner, then I took her for a walk around the park and the lake close to the restaurant and then we parted ways to our houses. Saturday was going to be our first official day as a couple.

I felt euphoric that our journey together was just getting started.

* * *

**A/N: **The angst is over for now... What do you guys think? Love it, hate it? Reviews are always welcome... Suggestion, opinions... anything... feel free to bash me... I can handle anything... of course with RESPECT!

A big THANK YOU to my AMAZING Beta, Rose... You have been great throughout this whole journey and I have no words to express my gratitude and how bless I feel to have a mentor like you... I'm happy you're feeling so much better and I'm so moved you took the time to help me out even though you're not feeling at 100% and your little one is down with a cold also... People like you are very hard to find...


	5. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Hello again... I know it's been forever but life decided to play pranks on me and it suck me little time for writing... Hopefully I can keep up with the schedule I made for the next weeks... Thanks for the reviews, follows and favorites... You guys are amazing and I am happy to be part of the Samcedian group.

Today is a sad day for all the Samcedians, but **LONG LIVE FANFICTION! **We all know Sam and Mercedes are perfect for each other and it is in our hands to keep them alive here, Tumblr and anywhere we can. On a last note... F U Ryan Murphy!

AU: Mercedes used to have the perfect life back in New York. That all changed the moment she moved to the little town of Lima, OH. On her first day of school, she met Sam and they quickly became fast friends who harbor secret feelings for each other. Their journey to happiness will be a bumpy one. Will the bumps on the road make them closer or will they drift them apart?

**Disclaimer**: I do no own Glee or any of the characters or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the fans of glee. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to the rightful owners.

In this chapter I used Taylor Swift's Crazier, **_(Song lyrics are in Bold & Italics)._**

* * *

Chapter 5

**Mercedes' POV**

Being Sam's girlfriend was like being part of a fairytale. He was perfect, always attentive, kind and loving. At the beginning, it was hard for me to deal with the sudden changes of our relationship. I knew our friendship was still there but now we kissed, made-out, went out on romantic dates and for me it was confusing, thrilling but confusing.

That first date. I will never forget that event. It was romantic, full of funny disasters but it was perfect because I was with Sam. He decided to cook for me instead of taking me out to dinner or ordering take-out, but Sam's experience in the kitchen was limited to bowls of cereal and reheating everything on the microwave. I knew this stay-home date was going to be quite a journey.

I got to his house and let myself in because he texted me earlier to do so. As soon as I walked in I started laughing, the house smelled like overcooked pasta and burned ground beef. I was surprised that the house was not on fire. When I finally made it to the kitchen Sam was sitting on the floor with his face hidden in his hands and he was mumbling some unrepeatable words. I looked around and the kitchen was a mess, the overly drained pasta was sitting in the sink, the ground beef was rigid in the pan and there was sauce all over the stove.

"Sam, are you ok? Do you want me to help you?" I was touched by his gesture of trying to impress me but I would be just as happy with a 'Lean Cuisine' meal.

He glanced up, looking defeated. "Oh Baby, this whole cooking thing is harder than I thought and I couldn't get a hold of mom for actual instructions. I tried YouTube but I couldn't keep up. Do you wanna order pizza, instead?"

"Pizza is fine with me, but we need to clean this mess." He stood up and hugged me while I took the opportunity to kiss him. "Thanks for trying. It's funny to see all the crazy things you would do for me."

He ordered the pizza and while we waited, we cleaned and organized everything. The doorbell rang and he went upstairs to grab the money to pay for the pizza while I went to the door to get it. After he closed the door, he took the pizza from my hands and started walking towards the kitchen, I did not know if he was nervous but in a blink of an eye, Sam tripped and fell down along with our pizza.

"Are you kidding me? Can my luck get any worse today?" He said mortified.

I could not help myself and I was giggling in a matter of seconds. He turned his face around, gave me a death glare and I laughed even louder. "Sammy, since when were you planning this date?" I managed to ask between the laughing and helping him to stand up.

"Since I asked you on Monday night. I wanted everything to be perfect, a nice homemade dinner, movies and then a walk around the lake, something simple but honest and romantic. " Sam answered, cleaning the sauce drops that graciously decorated his face.

"No wonder. Sam you don't need to plan our dates. You know I love spontaneous things, from my experience, things that are planned usually end up messy." He was lightly smiling. "Come on, let's pick up that unfortunate wasted pizza and check what's on your fridge, after that we can do a movie or two, because going to the lake tonight is out of the question. I don't wanna freeze myself to death." He agreed. We spent a lovely night together and for me that was the most important part.

"Hey Babe, what you wanna do today?" Sam was standing at my bedroom door. It was Saturday and all I wanted to do was sleep. I spent Friday doing last minute Christmas shopping with Sam. We decided to drive all the way to Cincinnati to have an excuse to be all alone and not have our parents monitoring our moves. I knew our parents trusted our relationship; they just did not trust us. Yet, I still did not know why because we will always keep our hands to ourselves and we knew each other's boundaries. In simple words, I was not ready to take that step with Sam, even though I knew it was with him I wanted to take the step with.

"Sam right now I just wanna sleep. We spent all day together yesterday. We went to Cincinnati, we shopped, we had lunch and dinner there, we decided to catch the midnight showing at the movie theater and lastly we had the long drive back to Lima. Don't forget we got here at almost 4am, I am worn out."

"Well, I'm not." He said with a wicked smirk.

"I can tell, it is 9 o'clock and you look rested and marvelous." I said yawning.

"C'mon Mercy, I have plans for us… I know we are going to have such a great time." He said hopeful that it was enough to make me get out of bed.

"Sam, I have plans for us too… get closer." I wanted to stay in bed a bit longer so when he got closer I grabbed him by his left wrist and pulled him to the bed.

"Mercy what are you doing?" He was already getting himself underneath my purple comforter.

"I wanna sleep; you wanna spend some time with me, then this works for both of us. Let's sleep the morning away, together." I said as I closed my eyes.

He kissed my forehead and said, "It's not exactly what I had in mind but… I like your idea better."

And just like that I fell back into my slumber cuddled up with my prince.

* * *

Months went by quickly, but our love grew stronger and I was the happiest girl alive. I had Sam, my friends and some new friends that added even more joy to my life, thanks to my constant visits to Sam's glee club meetings.

"What's up Mercedes? I'm patiently waiting for the day you decide to join us. After the Christmas special I keep thinking of how great of a singer you are and yet, I still haven't got the chance to enjoy that voice of yours as part of the glee club." Quinn greeted.

I laughed. "Hello Quinn, I'm doing great. About joining glee club, I'm just not ready, besides you guys are pretty much done for the year." Unfortunately, New Directions lost the Regionals competition to The Warblers from Dalton Academy.

"Still, we need to get ready for next year and you could be a great addition to the club. We are losing some of our best voices since Santana, Rachel, Finn and Kurt, they are all graduating." She added.

"Oh that's right. I totally forgot about that. I'm going to miss Kurt like crazy. You know what, I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to get a number ready and I will audition next week. I know Sam has made a lot inputs about my singing but I wanna go through the process. I don't wanna steal anybody's chance to join." I said with enthusiasm.

"That's so great. Also, no worries about stealing people's chances to audition for glee; we are the underdogs and nobody is running to be part of our club." I could not believe that I was friends with Quinn and that we ended up being close. She was like my soul sister.

"Hopefully things change for the better next academic year." I said trying to be optimistic.

"Nah… It's been the same year after year. But we always manage to survive." She said humorously. "Want some help for you audition?" She asked.

"Sure, why don't you come to my house after school and we can look for songs. You could also stay for dinner; it's our traditional Mexican dinner day." I said

"Sure, that sounds awesome." She said happily. She went back to her chair and sat next to her now boyfriend, Joe.

Sam walked inside and quickly took his place next to me. He gave me a quick peck and told me he loved me, to what I responded with, 'I love you, too'. Today's meeting went down quickly, when we were walking to our cars I decided to tell Sam about auditioning for glee club.

"Sam, there's something I need to tell you." I sounded too serious only because I wanted to see Sam's reaction.

His reaction was priceless. He looked like he just pooped in his pants and he could not hide the terror of someone finding out.

"Mercedes, what's going on? Are you trying to tell me that you wanna break up with me? Oh… please… No." I needed to get him out of that unnecessary pain, but it was quite funny.

"Sam… um… Sam… I need to tell you that…" He cut me off.

"Mercedes please stop; I don't think I can handle…" Now it was my turn to cut him off.

"Samuel Dwight Evans, you need to stop. Oh my God, I'm not breaking up with you. Not even close. What I wanted to tell you is that I am going to audition for glee club next week and Quinn is going to help me with my song selection, you silly..."

"Really. I'm so retarded. I was almost going into panic mode for nothing. But, wow, I am so happy you are finally thinking about joining glee. We now have the chance to do something that we love together. I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend. You are just perfect. And I'm glad all the awkwardness between you and Quinn finally vanished." He said going back to his normal being.

We said our goodbyes with countless lingering kisses and then I headed home. I had a long night ahead of me.

* * *

Summer vacation was amazing. We spend almost every day together. We had great adventurous days, we had lazy, silly days and we had those crappy days too. However, every day with Sam was part of my perfect fairytale. He was full of surprises, so spontaneous, funny and he always managed to leave me breathless.

"Baby, I have a surprise for you." He said amazingly excited.

"What? What is it?"

"Mercedes, if I tell you now it's not going to be a surprise. Now, close your eyes." He looked anxious but in a good way.

"Ok. Ok." I closed my eyes and he took my right hand and placed some sort of paper in it. As soon as I firmly grabbed it, I opened my eyes. I opened the folded paper and I could not believe what I was seeing. It was a copy of an electronic plane ticket. He was going on vacation without me. My expression changed as I looked up to his still amazingly happy face.

"Sam this is an electronic plane ticket for a round trip to Madrid."

His demeanor changed. "Yeah. But Mercedes, why are you sad?"

"Because you are going to be away for two weeks." I was on the verge of crying.

"Mercedes did you look at the paper properly." Now he was a bit aggravated.

"Yes, here it says that you…" I was cut off by a wave of happiness and surprise. "Sam, really. Oh God, it's says that I am leaving for Madrid in two weeks. But, you… Sam, I don't wanna leave you alone."

"Who says you're leaving me alone?" He was back in his happy mode.

"Sam Evans, what is going on?" Curiosity hit me.

"Well darling… We are going to Madrid together. Actually, we are going with my family. I finally convinced them to go and I wanted you to come with us. You know the city pretty well, you know the language and it is a good opportunity for us to be together in the city that you love. I think it would be perfect for us."

"Sam, I don't know what to say." He was just perfect and I was joyful I had him in my life.

"Just say you will come with us." He said expectantly.

"Yes, I'll go. OMG, you don't understand how excited I am right now." He got closer and gave me a chaste kiss.

"I know of a lot ways you can show me your excitement." And just like that he went from the innocent boy in love to one naughty boy.

* * *

The trip to Spain was amazing. I had the opportunity of visiting the country years before but this time it had a special meaning. I visited Spain with the love of my life; I did everything I wanted with him by my side. We took countless pictures, putting an album together was going to be one hard task.

The day after we came back, I met Tina, Quinn and Santana at the Lima Bean for our girl's summer meetings. They wanted to know all the details about my trip to Spain and all the other things I have been doing.

"So, Ms. Jones… How was Spain? Tell us everything." Tina started as we sat down at our favorite table.

"Oh, España, España; I will never forget this trip." I said smiling.

"Wanky!" Santana exclaimed.

"Santana, I didn't mean it like that. It was a great trip. We had fun and it is going to be one trip I will never overlook." I pointed out sincerely.

I showed them some of the pictures from the trip and they were all ogling over how cute and in love we looked in the pictures.

"Mercedes, you are one lucky girl." Quinn said looking at one of my favorite pictures. It was a picture of Sam, Stevie, Stacy and I being silly in front of Royal Palace.

"So are you Quinn… Joe is an amazing guy and he loves you very much." I said.

"Yeah, I know… I love him very much. So, did you guys go to another city or did you stayed in Madrid all the time?" Quinn asked.

"We went to Barcelona, also. But, it was for an exhibition game of the FC Barcelona." I said happily thinking about the memory of being at the Camp Nou with Sam. He was not a fan of soccer but that day he changed his perception about the sport.

"FC Barcelona? What is that?" Tina was confused.

"That's a soccer team and one of the most important team in the country, right after the Real Madrid." I added.

"Ohhhh." They all said.

"But let's get back to business. You were telling us that you guys went to another country, had a good time and nothing interesting happened between the two of you." Santana was all about the dirty details.

"Santana, Sam and I have a relationship that is based on a lot of stuff and yes, we have done our things but I am not ready for that step yet. I know I wanna lose my virginity to Sam but I will do it when I'm ready. He knows that, he respects that and we are happy where we are right now." I sounded annoyed but I wanted to get my point across leaving all the confusion behind.

"Geez, Aretha, no need to get mad. You know me, I'm just a bit 'caliente' when it comes to stuff like that." Santana said a bit ashamed.

"I'm not mad. This is my way of telling you I'm going to miss you when you leave next week for Lousiville." Next week Tina, Quinn and I were stepping up as seniors at McKinley and Santana was moving to her dorm to start her college life a week after that. Things were going to change for all of us, we all knew it.

The thing I did not know is how stressful things were going to get with Sam.

**Sam's POV**

Mercedes was the girl of my dreams; she was honest, kind, loving and sexy. No girl at McKinley was like her. Those first days in the relationship were interesting because we went from best friends to a couple and even though we were ready for it, we could not deny there was some gawkiness. I think for me making out with Mercedes was the most difficult part, I would run my hands all over her body and I knew what I wanted to do next but my respect and love for her stopped me every time.

"Sam, are you OK?" She was looking sad.

"Yes, I am. Why?" I wanted to sound casual and hide the fact that my pants were just a bit tighter where they were not supposed to be.

"Then why did you stop kissing me?" She was annoyed.

"Well, um… I… Crap…" I tried to kiss her again but she stopped me. "Mercedes, I had to stop because I was getting…" She stopped me.

"Oh. I understand." She was mortified.

"Mercy, please, wait." She was standing up from the sofa so I grabbed her and sat her in my lap, I knew it was not a smart move because the problem was located in my pants but I needed to address that I was not pushing her into anything. "Mercedes, why are you running away from me? We have talked about this and we agreed to work through it." She kept her gaze at the floor.

"Sam, it's just that I feel helpless because I know that something like that is completely normal between couples but I'm not ready." I tenderly took her face with my free hand and moved it until her eyes met mine and I said, "I told you before that I will wait for you all my life if necessary. I love you more than anything in this world and for you, I will do anything or did you just forget our first date as a couple. That was one epic moment." Finally, that beautiful smile of hers came back.

* * *

Christmas time with Mercedes was more joyful than years before. We went Christmas caroling around our neighborhoods with the help of the kids from glee club and we even got place at a Christmas special for the local TV network. For that occasion, we all wrote a song called 'Extraordinary Merry Christmas'. Blaine and Rachel, were Mr. Shue's first choices for the solos but Rachel decided it was time to forecast some new voices and she decided I was a good choice for the male lead, she gracefully asked Mercedes to take the female lead even though she was not part of the glee club. I was happy for the opportunity but I was even more excited someone like Rachel recognized Mercedes talent and was giving her a moment to shine.

The Christmas special was a success and all of our parents decided to take us to Breadstix for a celebratory dinner. They were all engaged in conversations that I thought it was the best time to sneak out with Mercedes for a little bit since I wanted to give her one Christmas presents I got her.

"Sammy, why are we out here? It is cold and I don't think it is appropriate to ditch everybody." She said.

"We are not ditching anybody, Mercy. I just wanted to have a moment with you. I wanted to give you one of your presents tonight. I know we have been dating for just a little bit over a month but I know you are it for me Mercedes." I got down on one knee and her panicking look was adorable.

"What are you doing?" She was freaking out.

"Don't freak out sweetie." I pulled out the little box and I knew Mercedes was about to pass out. "Mercy, don't pass out on me, just hear me out." I cleared my throat and started,

"Mercedes Joanne Jones, since I first saw you walking down the principal office's the first day of school I wanted to be yours. When life gave me the chance to become your friend I was happy and I knew I was going to find my way to your heart without being pushy and when I finally got the key to your heart I realized my life was complete because I got you." I opened the velvet box that hold an emerald solitary ring and continue with my speech; "This is not an engagement ring but it is a promise ring, with which I'm sealing my promise to love you, cherish you and protect you until you become my wife. I don't want anybody else in my life; I just want you, forever and always." I stood up, took Mercedes' left hand and placed the ring on her finger and I was not surprised it was a perfect fit.

"Sam, this is beautiful. I love you so much. Thank you." She hugged me and then kissed me tenderly and we felt the first snowflakes that started to fall making the moment even more romantic.

* * *

When the second semester of the school year started, I was juggling between my relationship with Mercy, which was growing beautifully, school stuff and all my extracurricular activities. Life was hectic but I was blessed because surrounded by all the love Mercedes was giving me.

Losing Regionals against The Warblers was low blow for all of us. We all knew we did a better job that they did but we also knew Sebastian Smythe wanted to beat us badly and was capable of doing anything to do so. Making it to Nationals was our way to prove the people at school that been part of the glee club was something amazing.

The day Mercedes told me she was auditioning for glee club it became one of my favorite days ever. I was finally going to have the chance to do something that I love with the girl that I love. I knew she did not need an audition because they already knew how talented she was but she wanted to be fair and go through all the process. When the day finally came, I could not be happier.

She walked into the choir room holding hands with Quinn, seeing them that way made me feel more than happy because I knew all the tension between them was in the past. Mercedes sat next to me and held my hand and I noticed she was shaking,

"Baby, you're shaking like a leaf. Why are you so nervous? They know how talented you are, this is just formalities that you wanted to take."

"I know. But I always get like this when I have to perform. I want things to go smoothly."

"Merc, things are going to be amazing. You're a star, never forget that." I gave her a peck on the cheeks and she became calmer almost instantly. "What song are you performing?" I asked.

"Just wait and see. I know you are going to like it. It's a country song. Well, more like a pop-country song." She was smiling now with the smile that always made me melt.

Mr. Shue introduced Mercedes and she took her place, when the music started I could recognize it was a Taylor Swift song.

_**I'd never gone with the wind  
Just let it flow  
Let it take me where it wants to go to  
Till you open the door  
There's so much more  
I've never seen it before  
**_

_**I was trying to fly  
But I couldn't find wings  
Then you came along**_

_**And you changed everything**_

_**[Chorus]**_

_**You lift my feet off the ground  
You spin me around  
You make me crazier, crazier  
Feels like I'm falling and I am lost in your eyes  
You make me crazier, crazier, crazier**_

_**I've watched from a distance as you made life your own**_  
_**Every sky was your own kind of blue**_  
_**And I wanted to know how that would feel**_  
_**And you made it so real**_

_**You showed me something that I couldn't see  
You opened my eyes  
And you made me believe**_

_**[Chorus]**_

_**You lift my feet off the ground  
You spin me around  
You make me crazier, crazier  
Feels like I'm falling and I am lost in your eyes  
You make me crazier, crazier, crazier**_

_**Baby you showed me what living is for  
I don't wanna hide anymore  
Oh oh**_

_**You lift my feet off the ground**_  
_**You spin me around**_  
_**You make me crazier, crazier**_  
_**Feels like I'm fallin' and I am lost in your eyes**_  
_**You make me crazier, crazier, crazier**_  
_**Crazier, crazier, crazier**_

She sounded amazing, better than Taylor did. She was definitely a star in the making, and with a unanimous vote Mercedes became part of the glee club and I knew that our senior year was going to be great.

* * *

When summer vacation arrived, I was thrilled. We had all this time to spend together I ran out of ideas on the first three weeks, then a magical but crazy idea came to mind. I need my parents' permission so, I put a plan in motion. I did all my chores, I behave appropriately and helped my siblings with everything they needed it. I became the perfect son.

"Mom, Dad… do we have any plans for the summer?" I asked while setting the table for dinner. Mom was finishing the cooking while dad was watching ESPN on the TV by the family room.

"I'm not sure, son. We haven't figure anything out but we might come with something by the end of July." My dad said.

"Why are you asking Sam? Do you have any plans with Mercedes?" Mom asked.

"Well, I have something in mind that I wanna do and I know you guys are going to freak out a bit and that's the reason I wanna make it a family trip but I wanna include Mercedes." My dad turned off the TV, walked to kitchen and gave me a look I could not figure out.

"Sam… what is going on?" Dad asked.

"Mom, Dad… I wanted to ask you if we could go to Spain this year. It's Mercedes' favorite country and I've been looking into all the stuff we all can do there and it sounds promising and actually I wanted to invite her to come with us."

"Sam that sounds amazing but if you invite Mercedes, and she agrees and most importantly her parents gives her permission to come, we need to cover her expenses. We are a family of five and it's going to be a lot of money and yes, we can afford it but I think it is a bit much. Sam we need to keep our savings because you need to remember the economy is bad and we already know how bad things can get. We can't go all crazy just because we are back on our feet" Mom was been the reasonable one but this was my chance to use all the points I accumulated over the weeks.

"I understand what you are saying, mom, but actually I don't want you to pay for Mercedes 'expenses. I wanna do it. It's a something I wanna give her."

Dad's face had no expression and it was very irritating until he finally spoke, "Sam, first the ring and all the Christmas presents you got her. Let's not forget about Valentine's day and now this. Don't you think you are investing too much into this relationship?" I could not believe it; my dad was bashing me for spoiling my girlfriend when he spoiled my mom every day. Unbelievable.

"Dad, I don't think I am investing too much. I love her and I think she deserves everything. Besides, this is coming from the man that just bought his wife a brand new Mercedes Benz SUV? I think I am learning from the best, or not." With that argument, I won my case and Spain was a go. I bought Mercedes's ticket and drove to her house to give her the news.

* * *

Those two weeks in Spain were amazing. I have to be honest I was mentally cursing the flight back to Lima. I wanted to stay there and have a perfect life with my perfect girl but the start of senior year was around the corner and I had responsibilities back home.

A couple of days after we got back I met Mike, Puck and Finn at Mike's place to play videogames and catch up before Finn left to go to Texas and Puck to go to Los Angeles.

"So, Lady Lips, how was the trip with Hot Mamma? Puck started. I hated the way he will refer to us sometimes but deep down he was a nice guy.

"The trip was great. We had a lot of fun and it's going to be one trip I will never forget." I said innocently.

"So, things got heated in Madrid?" Mike asked.

"Really guys, I am not disclosing the private part of my relationship with Mercedes to any of you." I was disgusted.

"Well, that's all we needed to hear. Welcome to the club, Evans." Finn interjected.

"You guys are disgusting and please, keep me out of that sick club of yours." I grabbed my letterman jacket and headed to the door.

"Man, we're playing. We don't have a club and actually we were just teasing you. We know how protective you are about Mercedes. Please don't go, but please tell us more about what you guys did there. I saw the pictures you posted on Facebook from the soccer game. It looked quite exciting." Finn sounded apologetic with his statement.

"Guys, if you all know how I am about Mercedes, do not make any further comments about her or any girl, I dislike cheap talk about girls and you all have girlfriends too. I don't think it's nice and it's very disrespectful." I returned to the sofa and took my place. "About the soccer game, it was pure madness. I had a blast, but I think Mercedes enjoyed it the most. She's a true fan."

A couple of hours later, we were playing pool and having a great time, Mercedes texted me that she was heading home and that she had a great time with the girls. I texted her that I was going to spend a little more time with the guys and then I was going to head home. She told me to call her before going to bed and so I did. Ending my day listening to Mercedes' voice was like icing on top of a cake.

* * *

It was the day before school started and I was at Mercy's getting everything together for our senior year. This was going to be an interesting year for me, I was starting the year with Mercedes by my side, I was stepping up as the quarterback of the football team, I was starting a new club with Mercedes, Quinn and Joe called The God's Squad. I could not forget glee club was going to take more of my time because I wanted to get to Nationals this year and unfortunately, I was also leaving the synchronized swimming team.

"Are you excited about senior year?" Mercedes was sitting at her desk organizing the new Coach bag that her mom got her.

"Actually for the first time in years, I am. I have a beautiful girlfriend who is going to be walking the hallways with me." At that moment I got close to Mercedes, I hugged her while she was still sitting at the desk and I started kissing her neck and I kept telling her about all the good things of having her as my girlfriend senior year. "Also, I will be able to kiss her whenever and wherever because we have every class together and we finally are going to be able to be officially in glee club together." I kissed her earlobe and made her shiver. "And let's not forget about the new club. This year is going to be great mainly because of all the things we can do together." I gave her a kissed in the cheek that made her blush and giggle.

"Yeah… It's going to be interesting. Also another thing is that you're stepping up as the quarterback of the football team and that's one thing I don't like because I know all the girls from school are going to be throwing themselves at you." She turned around and bit her bottom lip.

"Are you jealous?" I was at kissing distance from her.

"Maybe." She looked at me with those eyes that hypnotize me.

"You shouldn't be. I only have eyes for you and you are the only one that I love." I stated securely, but little did I know that senior year was going to be one of the most difficult tests in our still young relationship.

This was going to be the year that will make us or break us. The end of my perfect paradise was rapidly approaching.

* * *

**A/N: Well, what do you guys think? Love it? Hate it? What do you think is going to happen between them? Hit me up with reviews, opinion, anything... I will gladly take them under consideration, since I am already working on Chapter 6. **

**As always, I would love to thank my amazing Beta, Rose... for her patience and for being totally awesome... :) I love you, girl! **

**Well, this is it for now... Until next time... **


	6. A Huge Step Backwards

Hello... I'm back! Hope everyone is doing fine and you guys are all enjoying the Samcedes fics here. This was a very difficult chapter to write and I know some of you are going to be pissed at me but don't freak out!

Thanks for all the alerts... They mean the world to me and they feed my imagination and my desire to keep on writing... I know I am not perfect but practice help us get better. BTW, I apologize for any mistake my Beta and I are humans and we are definitely not perfect!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (expect Lacey, Marcus and Mercedes parents) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the fans of glee. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to the rightful owners.

In this episode I used Adele's Make You Feel My Love, _**(Song Lyrics are in Bold & Italics).**_

Flashbacks are in _Italics._

* * *

Chapter 6

**Sam's POV**

The first day of school finally arrived and I was ecstatic. I could not wait to pick-up Mercedes and get to school together. This was supposed to be the perfect year because I had everything I wanted. When we made it to the seniors students' parking lot I saw Mercedes kind of flickering, I could tell she was nervous about the new school year but the way she kept looking all wary and uncomfortable.

"Babe, are you ok?" I asked her. She was so invested in her thoughts she did not answer, instead she took her phone to text someone. I took the phone out of her hands and finally I got her attention. "Mercedes, I'm talking to you."

"Uh, um… what?" She was definitely out.

"Mercy, I was asking you if you were ok. You seem tense."

"Sam, I'm fine. It's just that I was remembering that last year I met you on my first day here at McKinley and my life changed forever." She said with a bashful smile and proceeded to give me a chaste peck on the lips. Mercedes just knew how to make every moment unforgettable.

As soon as we walked inside the school, everything felt different, people that I did not know started talking to me and I was overwhelmed. Being the quarterback came with a package I did and did not know how to handle, everybody knew my name and everybody wanted to be my friend and it felt that they had the right to invade my space. The space I loved sharing with Mercedes. I felt when she let go my hand and walked to her locker. Not having her by my side made me feel empty but I turned around and kept my attention on the other people. I knew Mercedes was going to understand and later in the day, she was going to have my undisputed attention.

Something I did not expect out of this new quarterback status was that I did not have an actual life. My life revolved around football. Practice, games, practice, later on school stuff, then glee club then sometimes practice after glee meetings and my time with Mercedes was becoming shorter and shorter every day. She was getting to school on her own and we will meet randomly in the hallways or during the classes we had together. We had a habit to called each other at night but lately I was arriving home so tired that I was falling asleep earlier than expected and I started to bombed on my calls or I was missing hers, but no matter how crazy my life was becoming, my feelings for her were intact or so I thought.

She was still the most lovable, caring and understandable person I met. She understood that being the quarterback's girlfriend came with a territory but our time was ticking and little did I know that there was a certain duo expecting the moment of our rocky moment.

Lacey was a new student in McKinley High; to the world, she was almost perfect. She looked like Victoria's Secret model Candace Swanepoel in every aspect. She was pretty, yes, but she was extremely shallow and mean. The day I met her I knew I had to watch her closely because I sensed I became the prey she was ready to hunt.

_I was on my way to English class; as usual since my senior year started, I was running late. I walked Mercedes to her physics class like I had accustomed since we started dating. I was running to my classroom when I accidently bumped into Lacey. _

"_Are you OK? I'm so sorry, I was running and distracted." I extended my hand to help her out and I soon as I look my gaze with her, I felt slightly uncomfortable. _

"_Yes, I'm fine. Just be careful next time. This outfit costs more than you could ever think." I dislike her at that exact moment. _

"_Look, I said I'm sorry but instead of caring about your outfit, you should care about yourself and others, that's what matters in life. Anyways, I have to go." I started to walk away from her but life wanted me to suffer just a bit more. _

"_Wait! Why I don't know you?" She said coolly._

"_Maybe because you're the new student here, because it is the first time I've seen you." I was irritated, I was late for class and I did not wanted to chat with her. _

"_Well hopefully it is not the last one… I'm Lacey." She was extending her hand. _

"_Sam." I shook her hand and turn around to walk to my class. _

"_I was nice meeting you, Sam. Maybe we can get together sometime… You know like a date." She yelled on the empty hallway. She was nuts, asking me out on a date after she just crossed as much as three sentences with me. Yes, she was crazy._

_I turn around and said; "I don't think so. I have a girlfriend, who I love very much and she's nothing like you. Anyways, I'll guess I see you around." _

_Little did I know that when someone was in between something or someone that Lacey wanted she was going to anything possible to withdraw it from her way. _

Then there was Marcus. He was the captain of the hockey team and one of the biggest douchebags in school. He looked like a younger version of Denzel Washington and pretty much all the girls were drooling for him. Just for my luck, he only had eyes for my girl.

Our issues started a few months after school started. Mercedes and Marcus took Spanish together and as soon as he met Mercedes, he made obvious his interest for her. One day Mercedes and I were talking by my locker and Marcus approached us with his devious face on. He was looking for some trouble.

"Hey precious, how are you this fine morning?" He eyed Mercedes from head to toes making me fume from anger.

"I'm fine, Marcus. How are you?" She kept everything casual and as soon as she looked up to me, she wanted to grab me and walk away from that spot.

"I was doing just fine, but as soon as I got a glimpse of you my day became way better." He winked at her. I had to interfere.

"Hey Marcus, can you stop this? She's my girlfriend and I think it is inappropriate that you are blatantly courting my girlfriend in my face."

"Oh… please Evans. That is not courting your girlfriend, this in the other hand is." He grabbed her face and tried to kiss her and hell broke loose. I angrily pushed him to the other side of the hallway and started punching his face as if something evil possessed me. Mercedes was trying to break us apart but I was enraged, my only focus was to break every single bone on his body. Finally, Mike and Joe helped to get us apart but something shifted in me. When Joe escorted Marcus to the nurse station I turned, I saw a very upset Mercedes.

"Really Sam, really? Don't get me wrong, I am glad you are OK, poor Marcus took the hardest part, but I am not proud of what just happened. I know he acted badly, but you were supposed to act maturely and you didn't. You let you anger and you jealousy blinded you." She was so angry, she was about to cry.

"Mercedes, are you telling me that I acted wrongly because I punched him? He tried to kiss you! Are you kidding me? Where's the camera because I just can't believe the words that just left your mouth."

She was crying. "Sam, you are supposed to be an example at this school. Students look up to you, I look up to you but after what I saw today, I don't know what to think anymore. I am not defending Marcus in any way, what he did was disgusting and I don't even know from where or whom he got that idea, but you transformed into a whole new human being I was actually scared to be around you." She was hurt beyond my comprehension. "You embarrassed us, our relationship. What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't, baby". I tried to close the distance between us but she took a step backwards. My heart was breaking into a million pieces. "Please forgive me, baby. I really don't know what took over me, but you need to understand Marcus have been trying to break us apart. He only befriended you because you are amazing in Spanish and because he has a thing for you."

"Sam, I knew that since the beginning and so did you. But I never gave you a chance to doubt about me, you on the other hand…" She stopped as soon as her eyes met my sad and confused eyes. I thought the incident that almost caused us our relationship was all forgot and forgiven.

"Sam, I forgave what you did, I forgave you for neglecting our relationship because of all the things you got involved at the beginning of this semester. I gave you a shot because you because I love you and I could not see myself without you at the time. But that is something that is been hunting me because you created some trust issues between us and today you proved me that even though you love me you think I am going to do the same thing you did to me with Marcus." She was looking at me with the saddest expression I have ever seen.

"Mercedes, that stupid kiss with Lacey meant nothing to me. It was the heat of the moment and I was buzzed, she took advantage. I explained this already and so did Mike. You are the girl that I love but yes since my incident I've been having trust issues because I think you are going to do the same thing to me as payback." I was defending myself the best way I knew but I was losing this battle horribly.

"Then we can't be together Sam. A relationship without trust is not a relationship." She was sobbing uncontrollably in front of everybody including a stunned Tina, a disappointed Quinn and slightly uncomfortable Mike.

"Are you…" I could not finish the sentence because when I lifted my eyes she was gone. I looked around and I noticed Tina and Quinn were gone. This was it; I felt my knees giving up on me. As I fell on my knees, I started crying desperately, I did not cared I was in school, in front of everybody that saw me as the perfect boy that got everything as he pleases.

While I was drowning in sorrow and pain, little did I know that all this was all orchestrated by Lacey.

"_Marcus, it worked. I'm sorry you got so beat up, but it work. I promised to make it up to you. She just broke up with in front of everybody. It's my chance to get who I wanted all along." _Marcus smiled deviously at the text message he got from Lacey.

**Mercedes' POV**

My first day of senior year arrived. I was walking in the clouds; I had the most amazing boyfriend, great friends and the greatest parents in the planet.

"Darling, how are you feeling? Senior year is special and the most important in your high school experience." My mother was fixing us breakfast and while my dad was getting some coffee. They both had a busy schedule but they never neglected on me.

"I'm happy senior year is finally here but I quite nervous also. It's the end of an era and soon I'll be on my way to college and adult life." I said while getting some orange juice out of the fridge.

"Baby girl, that's part of growing up. You live and you learn." My dad said while taking a sip of his coffee.

"I know but I am not ready to say goodbye to this."

"This is translated to, I'm not ready to say goodbye to Sam. Darling, we know but you can't hold yourself back because of him. If your plans take both of you in different directions you can't be mad. Make sure you cherish everything and who knows, maybe life plays something in your favor." My mom was always realistic but also an optimist.

"I know, I know. We have that very clear." The doorbell rang and my dad went to open the door while I help my mom serving our breakfast. A couple of minutes later Sam and my dad enter the room, we ate and talk for a bit and then we took off.

The first day went fast. I had three classes with Sam and that was quite a relief because this year he was going to be busy with football, glee club and The God's Squad.

Other thing I needed to get comfortable with was his new popularity status, now that he was the quarterback of the Varsity team, everybody wanted to be his friend and everyone was invading his space, our space. All the Cheerios were always surrounding him and even though he was always politely rejecting them, they never got tired of chasing him. It was exhausting.

Weeks went by and my time with Sam was becoming shorter. He had practices all the time, glee club meetings and sometimes during the week additional practices after glee club meetings. He barely managed to attend the God's Squad meetings, and after the first week of school, we never rode to school together. Weekends were becoming the only time he had to be a normal teenager. I was proud of everything he was accomplishing but I was feeling neglected.

"Wow, Sam it's been weeks since we had a chance to speak on the phone before going to bed." We had a little tradition to call each other at night and even that was becoming hard to keep up.

He yawned. "I know baby, but if I wanna get a football scholarship I need to pick up my game and the only way I'm going to do it is if I practice. I promise that after the season is over I'll make it up to you."

"Sam, I get it you know but we only get a chance to spend time together at school at the classes we take together and sometimes during the weekends and I am not asking you to be stuck by my side all the time but I'm becoming Mike and Tina's permanent third wheel. But let's change the topic, how was the rest of your day?" I wanted to keep the positivism on.

"My day was ok. I keep running into Lacey and it's driving me nuts. I can't stand her. She keeps bringing the whole crap that went down at Azimio's party and I really feel like punching her in the face. I will never hit a girl but she knows how to pull my strings, but enough about her, how was yours?"

"My day was productive I guess. I had to help Marcus with his Spanish assignment and then I worked on my history class' essay."

"Did Marcus try another random move on you?" The jealous tone was back.

"Did Lacey tried to kiss you again? Since that's the only thing she can do." I hated when he tried to get territorial with me with someone I had made myself more than unavailable.

"Mercy, don't answer my question with another question. I already explain you that what happened with Lacey was a mistake on my part but she took advantage of the situation."

I was becoming irritated. Since our relationship started to become shaky, we could not have a decent conversation without some sort of disagreement. "Sam please don't even mention the Lacey incident. I told you she was a sleazy little bitch, but as always you love to see the good in people, and I know she took advantage that you were buzzed at Azimio's party but I told you to be smart that night because I was sick I was not going to attend. I knew that when the girls saw you were alone, they were going to attack like piranhas. But, there you went and did one giant stupid thing. Sam everyone is expecting us to break up. You know what, let's talk about this later, it's getting late and we are both tired and not thinking clearly." I hung up and felt like someone punched me in the heart.

My relationship with Sam was hitting rock bottom.

"_Girls… I need a meeting ASAP."_ I texted Tina and Quinn and decided to try to sleep off my sadness and anger.

The next day I barely spoke to Sam. He was mad, I was hurt and our happiness was slipping through our hands. I need to tell him that things were changing between us but my feelings were unbroken. Tina, Quinn and I met during lunch and explained everything that was going on between Sam and me. They were sad and worried because they did not want to see us break up.

"Mercedes you have to express what you feel and you know that glee is great platform for that." Quinn alleged.

"I know Quinn, but I am tired of using songs to tell Sam stuff that can be easily said if we could sit down and talk. Besides, I am tired of making a parade of my relationship with Sam and I feel like we are always venting our things in glee club." I felt discouraged.

"Mercedes, you have to do what you have to do to keep you man and right now talking is not working." Tina added.

"Ok, I get it but I don't even know a good song."

"But we do" They said in harmony.

"Really?" I said surprised.

"Yeah. Adele's Make You Feel My Love. You need to tell him that no matter what is going on you still love him and you would do anything to make him feel that love. Don't make an introduction, just say that you been feeling to sing this song for a while, he is smart enough to understand that is for him. And I know the piano chords by heart; I can help you with the music." Tina words were echoing in my mind and as much as I thought about it, the less crazy it felt. We cut our lunch break short and ran to the choir room to practice the song. It was something rushed but I wanted Sam to understand that my love for him was the most important thing.

Glee club hour came and I took my place. Sam was sitting in the last row, next to Joe. I glued my eyes to him and said, "Well, guys this is kind of an impromptu performance I came up with but I been dying to sing this song. I hope you guys like it."

_**Tina started to play the first chords and I keep my gaze on Sam,**_

_**When the rain is blowing in your face**_

_**And the whole world is on your case**_

_**I could offer you a warm embrace**_

_**To make you feel my love**_

_**When the evening shadows and the stars appear**_

_**And there is no one there to dry your tears**_

_**I could hold you for a million years**_

_**To make you feel my love**_

_**I know you haven't made your mind up yet**_

_**But I would never do you wrong**_

_**I've known it from the moment that we met**_

_**No doubt in my mind where you belong**_

_**I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue**_

_**I'd go crawling down the avenue**_

_**No, there's nothing that I wouldn't do**_

_**To make you feel my love**_

_**The storms are raging on the rolling sea**_

_**And on the highway of regret**_

_**The winds of change are blowing wild and free**_

_**You ain't seen nothing like me yet**_

_**I could make you happy, make your dreams come true**_

_**Nothing that I wouldn't do**_

_**Go to the ends of the earth for you**_

_**To make you feel my love**_

_**To make you feel my love**_

When I finished singing, there was no dry eye inside that room. I knew that all of our friends knew about my issues with Sam, what I did not know was that everyone was aching for us. This group was special and I love them all deeply. Sam stood up and walked to where I was standing, he hugged me and whispered in my ear, "I love you more than words can express, more than our minds can imagine and I am sorry I been such a pain lately. I know I am not perfect but I promise you that we are going back to our days of bliss, even if that means that I have to quit everything."

"That's where you are wrong. You don't need to quit anything, we just need to compromise and learn to be patient with each other. Also, we need to trust each other. But we will work on that, we have a lifetime to get better at this." We stared into each other loving eyes for a few seconds and then he kissed my forehead tenderly. We took our places and for a moment, everything went back to normal.

My friendship with Marcus was becoming a burden in my life. He could not stop implying what he wanted with me and I was getting slightly mad at him. Rumors were flying, my rocky days with Sam were making their comeback and Lacey was always making her presence noticeable to Sam.

Few weeks later Sam and I were talking by his locker, we were trying to planning something to do over the weekend since it was the first time in a month and half that we were both available to do something together. Marcus approached us and everything after that was a blur to me. Marcus did something that sent Sam into frenzy; I got scared because I never imagined seeing my boyfriend being so violent. Sam punched Marcus with so much fury; he looked like he was possessed. I tried to stop them but it was impossible. Finally, Mike and Joe managed to break them apart. Marcus was seriously beat up, while Sam only had a red, soon to be a bruised, cheek. Joe took Marcus to the nurse station, while Mike was calming Sam.

When Sam met my gaze, he knew I was mad, humiliated and mortified. I wanted to crawl into a hole and stay there for the next fifty years. When he got closer, I could not hold it anymore,

"Really Sam, really? Don't get me wrong, I am glad you are OK, poor Marcus took the hardest part, but I am not proud of what just happened. I know he acted badly, but you were supposed to act maturely and you didn't. You let you anger and you jealousy blinded you." I was so angry. I just wanted to cry.

"Mercedes, are you telling me that I acted wrongly because I punched him? He tried to kiss you! Are you kidding me? Where's the camera because I just can't believe the words that just left your mouth." He was now switching his anger towards me.

We went back and forth about everything that happened in that hallway, about Marcus trying to break us apart and even the Lacey incident made its way into the conversation. This was becoming a circus. A circus I needed to escape for good. My love for Sam was not going to blind me this time, I needed to break free from all the drama that this relationship was bringing into my life. I knew Sam loved me, but nothing around us was helping us to grow as a couple and the amazing friendship we once had was nowhere to be found. Sam pulled the last string when he said that he had trust issues because he thought I was going to use Marcus to make him feel what I felt when I found out about what happened with Lacey. I had to do it, even if it was in front of everybody at school. After he spoke, I took the courage and said,

"Then we can't be together Sam. A relationship without trust is not a relationship." My heart stopped beating for what it felt forever. I could not face Sam anymore. I could face anybody anymore. I just wanted to run away and disappear. When I started to turn around, I heard Sam trying to form and say the most painful sentence I was going to hear in my life. I was not ready to face that reality and just like that, I did what it was best for me, I ran away. Quinn and Tina were trailing off behind me but I could not stop. I wanted to get home, pack my bags and fly back to New York.

I thought life was playing me a bad trick and the least I imagined was that all this was planned by an evil idiot called Lacey and we were both dumb enough to fall in her game.

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**A/N: **Please don't hate me... This is just a bump in the road. What do you guys think? Yes or No... What about Lacey and Marcus? What do you guys think it will happen next? What about Sam? What about Mercedes? Will the glee club will help them find the way back to each other? Hit me up with reviews and suggestions... I love them all!

My eternal thanks to my lovely Beta, Rose! I love you girl.

Until next time...


	7. Can't Breathe Without You, But I Have To

Hello Again... I am surprised I managed to write this update pretty fast but it took everything in me not break down completely, but at some point at was a mess. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and again i hope you guys don't hate me. I really put a lot of effort and emotion in it.

Thanks for the support, alerts, follows and reviews... they make me really happy and they feed my imagination deeply.

A special shout to IMABOUTTHATLIFE (HAI) for the lovely message and the suggestion, I hope you like what I did even though I did not used all of the ideas.

I apologize for any mistake my Beta and I are humans and we are definitely not perfect!

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (expect Lacey and Mercedes'mother) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to the rightful owners.

In this episode I used Taylor Swift's Breathe, _**(Song Lyrics are in Bold & Italics).**_

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Chapter 7

**Mercedes' POV**

When I arrived at my house, surprisingly my mom was there. I ran into her arms crying hysterically, I cried for hours and by just holding me she knew exactly what was happening.

"How did it happened, Mercy?" My mom asked. I knew she did not need the details because details are the pain carriers.

"Well, I broke up with him mom. We have been struggling with some issues and we tried to fix them, but Sam admitted to have trust issues." I said melancholically.

"Trust issues? What have you done?" My mother was horrified. I explained to her everything that happened with Lacey and Sam, my friendship with Marcus, the hallway incident and how I think we blew everything out of proportion.

"Mercedes, about that hallway issue with this boy, Marcus. How can you expect Sam to react calmly? No boyfriend in their right mind would have. It is their protective instinct. I think you acted rashly and now you have to deal with the consequences of your action. I am not saying you did everything wrong, but breaking up in a school hallway is not mature in any way you wanna see it. Just give Sam a few days and then try to talk to him. You guys were friends, I am sure you guys will find the way back to each other. You, both just need to stop letting external stuff get in between the two of you." I was so confused; I knew in my heart that I loved Sam. Was my mother right? Were we letting outsiders get in between of our relationship? I needed to clear my thoughts.

I excused myself and went to my room. I drop my bag by the desk, I took a shower and when I was done with it, I worked on my homework. My phone kept buzzing every five minutes. I was getting texts from Quinn, Tina, Joe, and even Kurt and Rachel. News was traveling fast. I shut my phone off and tried to concentrate on my homework. I plug my iPod on to the radio and I put it on shuffle. My iPod decided to play all the songs I was supposed to avoid after a break-up. I wanted to turn it off but then 'Breathe' by Taylor Swift came on. The lyrics of that song hit me, badly. I started to sing along and tears started to freely fall.

_**I see your face in my mind as I drive away,  
Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way.  
People are people,  
And sometimes we change our minds.  
But it's killing me to see you go after all this time.**_

Mmm mmm mmm  
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm  
Mmm mmm mmm  
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm

Music starts playin' like the end of a sad movie,  
It's the kinda ending you don't really wanna see.  
Cause it's tragedy and it'll only bring you down,  
Now I don't know what to be without you around.

And we know it's never simple,  
Never easy.  
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.  
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand,  
And I can't,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to.

Never wanted this, never wanna see you hurt.  
Every little bump in the road I tried to swerve.  
But people are people,  
And sometimes it doesn't work out,  
Nothing we say is gonna save us from the fall out.

And we know it's never simple,  
Never easy.  
Never a clean break, no one here to save me.  
You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand,  
And I can't,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to.

It's two a.m.  
Feelin' like I just lost a friend.  
Hope you know it's not easy,  
Easy for me.  
It's two a.m.  
Feelin' like I just lost a friend.  
Hope you know this ain't easy,  
Easy for me.

And we know it's never simple,  
Never easy.  
Never a clean break, noone here to save me.

Ohhh

I can't,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to,  
Breathe,  
Without you,  
But I have to.

Sorry (oh) Sorry (mmm)  
Sorry (eh eh) Sorry (mmm)  
Sorry (eh eh) Sorry (mmm)  
Sorry

I was a mess by the end of the song because it finally hit me, I've lost Sam as my boyfriend and my friend and that was the reason I was so scared of this relationship at the beginning. He meant everything to me and now he was gone.

The next day I woke up feeling like crap, I wanted to skip school but I had a Calculus exam and I needed to be responsible. I turned on my phone and was shocked with what I saw, I had 71 text messages and 23 voicemails. I decided to send a group message to Tina, Quinn, Joe and Mike telling them that I was alive and I was going to school. I sent another one to Kurt and Rachel telling them that it was true, Sam and I were no longer together but I was not ready to talk about it.

When I got to school, I felt like the new girl all over again. Everybody was staring at me and whispering things. I really did not care what they were saying but it was annoying. I found Quinn and Tina by my locker and I felt a bit better. They both pulled me into a hug and I started to cry again,

"Mercy, please don't cry. We hate to see you like this. What can we do to see you smile?" They hugged me tighter and I tried to calm myself. I did not want to cry at school, I did not feel like giving another show like the one from the day before.

"You, girls don't have to do anything. Being my friends is the best things you both can do." They pulled me out from their embrace and lightly smiled. I sadly smiled back while wiping away the tears from my face.

When the bell rang, we said our goodbyes and I felt a bit relaxed because I did not run into Sam before classes. When I got to the classes we had together, I decided to exchange places with some other classmates and that was when I realized that he skipped school. During my fourth period, I finally got on Facebook and at that very moment, I regretted doing it. There it was the notification I dreaded to see. _Sam Evans is no longer listed as 'in a relationship'. _My mind started to fill with ideas. _Was he ready to move on? Was he happy we were no longer together? Why did he change his status so quickly? _I gave up. I did not want to be in Lima anymore.

Weeks went by and the new Sam I was seeing was worrying me. After the break-up, Sam quit glee club and The God's Squad, he skipped lunch breaks. He was becoming a loner. I was not over him, I knew I was never going to be over him entirely, but I tried to keep the façade for my own sanity. I kept myself busy with glee club and that actually paid off when Mr. Shuester gave me the female solo lead at the upcoming Sectionals. I was happy; it was great news after all.

But, as Thanksgiving approached I became sadder and I could admit emotionally unstable. I was supposed to go to Tennessee with Sam and his family and that was not going to happen now. The Saturday before thanksgiving, I was cleaning and organizing my room when I found the box where I keep everything from my relationship. I opened it and went through everything, I was an emotional wreck. I still loved Sam with all my being but he became so unapproachable, I desisted into trying to save whatever thing we had left and the pain I felt was unbearable. That was when I decided it was time to move on, far away from Sam.

"Mom, can I talk to you? Also, I need to talk to dad. Is he home?"

"Sure Honey, let's go to the office, your father is there working on some stuff. Is everything ok? I knew my mother was going to be supportive of my decision; the hardest part was getting my dad to agree. We walked into the office and my dad looked at us confused.

"What are my two lovely ladies doing in here?"

"Mom… Dad… I, um…-" I was chickening out.

"Sweetie pie, what's going on?" My dad asked sweetly.

"Ok, I don't know how you are going to take this, but here it goes; I wanna move back to New York."

"…"

"Um… you guys can say something now." I was petrified when I saw their facial expressions.

"Are you sure? Is that really what you want?" I was surprised my dad was the first to speak.

"Yes, daddy that's what I want." I was 100% convinced.

"Well, I guess we have to call Headmaster Keller first thing Monday morning and we have to call Sophie to tell her that you're going back to Manhattan." Mom added.

"Aunt Sophie? Mom she lives in Brooklyn and Constance is in Manhattan. Why are you guys not freaking out?" I was slightly disturbed.

"Mercedes, we need to call her so she can move with you to the penthouse in Park that we thankfully still own but that is only until we can move back. In addition, the reason we are not freaking out is that we knew something like this was coming. You are not the same since the break-up and the only place that can bring me back my baby is New York. But make sure you leave everything here in order, we will take care of the other things and please keep this under the radar." I nodded happily.

I was so glad my parents understood that moving away was the best thing for me. I wanted to get my life back and I wanted to smile sincerely again. Lima was great and I have met some amazing people but I was not going to heal properly running into Sam every day. I was going to miss my friends, glee club and all the other things but I needed to break free. I went upstairs and started to organize the things I was taking right away, the ones that I needed to pack to help me settle in back in the city and the ones that I needed to put storage. That weekend went pretty fast.

On Monday morning, my mother called Headmaster Keller and went through everything I needed to enrolled back at Constance. By Wednesday everything was settled, next Monday I was going to be back in my lovely all-girls private school. Thanksgiving Day went on great, I spend it with my parents at home and I kept my head busy talking about all the plans I had in mind now that I was going back to New York. That was until I got a text from Stacy saying that she missed me and that she was grateful to know someone like me. I was happy she had such a great opinion about me but at the same time, I got sad because Sam came back to my mind and messed up my happiness a bit. In the next two days, I packed everything I needed and on Saturday afternoon, I went to the UPS Store with my dad to send it to New York.

Sunday finally came and I had a mix of feelings. I was happy because I was leaving in an attempt to find myself and to find happiness but at the same time, I was scared because I did not know what to expect. Sadness was part of the equation because I was not ready to say goodbye to Lima, to my parents and the amazing friends I made. While recounting all the blessings I got living in Lima, I decided to write Sam a goodbye letter. I wanted closure and this was the way I was going to get it. I cried but still managed to write something, it was short but explained everything I wanted to say. After that I called Quinn and told her to meet at the park down my street in 30 minutes because I need to tell her something important.

We meet and I explained to her about everything. She was shocked.

"Mercedes, why are you leaving so suddenly? What is going to happen now with you? You are just going to give up, just like that." She was angry and hurt.

"Quinn, it is the best for me. I spoke to Mr. Shuester and he understood everything. He's splitting the female lead between you and Tina. Everything is under control. You are already in charge of The God's Squad and thing are running fantastic in that department. There is nothing holding me back here." I said.

"What about Sam?" That's when I took the letter out of my purse and gave it to her.

"I want you to give this to him as soon as you see him. Quinn, please keep an eye on him. I still care about him and I don't want him to do anything reckless. And as for you, please take care of yourself and your relationship with Joe. Enjoy what's left of senior year and please stay in touch." I pulled her into a hug. "I am going to miss you terribly. I'll call you as soon as I get settled in. Also, please tell Tina about this and tell her that I will call her soon." We broke out of the hug and I stood, I looked down to her teary green eyes and said, "Lima changed my life, Sam changed my life and I am happy I got the chance to experience all that with a great friend like you." I walked back to my house and three hours later, I left Lima, OH behind me.

**Sam's POV**

I was single, really single. I thought yesterday was just a nightmare but waking up to a face with puffy eyes and cellphone with over fifty messages asking me how I was holding up made me realize this was my reality. Mercedes was no longer my girlfriend. I felt hollow, lifeless and I felt like I left half of my heart with her. I did not have the strength to face my family, my friends and her, especially her. We went from strangers, to friends, to best friends, to boyfriend-girlfriend and now I did not know where we exactly stood. I knew things between us were going to be difficult. I was not ready to deal with anything, so I decided to skip school for the first time in years. I stayed in bed and as I soon as I heard the buzzing of my phone I decided to shut it off and stay in my soundless room, lost in my thoughts.

"Sam, are you awake?" Mom asked from outside my bedroom door.

"I am now, mom. But, I'm not feeling well. I'm staying home today." I tried to fake a sick tone; I was not ready to tell my family about the break-up.

"Honey, how are you feeling? Do you need to go to a doctor?" She asked worriedly.

"No, mom. I have a stomach ache. I think it is because I didn't eat anything last night. Mom, I really wanna go back to sleep. I promise I'll text Mike to ask him to get me the school notes and assignments." I needed her to go to her office as soon as possible.

"Ok, Sam. Just rest today. If you need anything call your dad or me. I'll make sure Dwight pick up you brother and sister from school. Do you want me to call Mercedes so she can come and check up on you later?" Listening to the sound of her name was excruciating. I thought that at that moment I was going to lose my façade and break down like I did yesterday at school.

"No, that's ok mom. I'll get in touch with her later." Lying to my mom was something I did not want to do, but I did not feel like having a pity party in my honor so early in the morning. I want to be alone, to think and to try to figure out where my relationship with Mercedes went wrong.

As soon as everybody left, I felt relieved. I walked to the bathroom and took a long needed shower, where I decided to let all my frustration and sadness out. I sat in the tub for what felt like forever. I decided to get out when I ran out of hot water and this late October weather was colder than ever. My stomach started to growl and I decided to finally leave my room and go downstairs to fix me something for breakfast. As soon as I sat on the table, I pushed the bowl of cereal to the side. My stomach wanted food but I did not want to eat.

The day went by slower than ever. I went back to my room and turned on my computer. I went straight to Facebook to try to connect with the world somehow. I had more notifications today than I had had in the past three months. I checked some of them but then I regretted it. Some of them were from people that were sorry about what happened with Mercedes and the other ones I checked were from Lacey. What in the world did she want now? She was one of the reasons Mercedes broke up with me. I was more than sure that I did not want to have anything to do with her. I decided it was time to unfriend her from Facebook and my life. I checked my profile and to my surprise, I was listed as Mercedes boyfriend, still. _Maybe she did not got online last night, maybe she was having doubts or maybe she was not ready to move on. _All those thoughts were killing me. We needed to heal, we needed to grow and we needed to realize we could not hang on to the past. I decided to change our relationship statuses for starters, it was painful and I was sobbing uncontrollably when I closed my computer. Reality was hitting me harder than I thought.

Weeks went by and I was becoming a completely different Sam. I quit glee club, The God's Squad and I tried to quit the football team but Coach Beiste convinced me not to do it because she knew about some scouts that were interested in me. I started to hate being around people so, I decided to skip lunch in the cafeteria and I sort of stopped talking to my friends and other people at school. Mercedes decided to switch places with other students in the classes we took together; yes, things with Mercedes were OVER. Running into her in the hallways was painful. She looked ok, not happy but she look as beautiful as always.

A couple of days later, I found out she got the female solo lead at the upcoming Sectionals and I could not help but be happy for her. She really deserved it. I started to debate if it was a good idea for me to show up and show her and the rest of the glee club my support after what I did. I knew I was rash with my decision but I needed space from her and I knew that she needed space from me.

Thanksgiving break we all went down to Tennessee to visit my grandparents from my mom's side. I love them deeply. They lighted up my dark world almost instantly, but they knew something was up with me. Friday after Thanksgiving, we were all sitting in the living room playing card games when the inevitable subject came up.

"Hey Sammy, why is it that I haven't seen Mercedes in the past three weeks? Why she didn't come with us to Tennessee as planned? I really miss her. I miss her carrot cake. Yummy!" Stacy said so casually it was cute.

"She's been really busy these past few days, Stace'. Actually we haven't been hanging out and she cancelled the trip a couple weeks ago, I just forgot to tell you." I said melancholically.

"I knew something was up with you little man." Grandpa Bill said.

"Please grandpa, don't start." I said, trying to avoid any further comments.

"Start what, Sam." Mom said nosily. "Well, I sort of wanna know also. Because it is strange that I haven't seen Mercedes at our house or that you haven't been at hers, you guys were almost inseparable. Is everything ok between the two of you?" There it was the question I wanted to avoid. I felt all the pain rushing back to my heart and I was looking for a quick escape but I was stuck.

"Sam, are you alright? You look pale my darling. I am going to get you a glass of tea." Grandma said. I was trying to organize my thoughts but I wanted to get out of that situation so fast I blurted,

"We broke up." I felt my eyes filling with tears and my mom came and hugged me. I let all my sadness out. I cried so desperately, I felt like I was hyperventilating. "Mom, she broke up with me and I didn't fight for her. I just let her go, but I love her mom. I do, I really do. There is no one like her. I don't know what to do, I really don't." I achieved to say between the unstoppable sobbing and the uneven breathing.

"Sam, what happened? You both were so in love with each other; I can't believe her feelings for you changed that quickly." Mom was sincerely interested.

I told mom everything that happened between us. How our time together was cut short because of all the extracurricular activities, about Lacey and Marcus and about how I thought we were letting many external issues come in between us. She was not surprised about the first issue but she got pissed when I explained to her the whole Lacey incident. She did say I acted normally when the whole showdown with Marcus happened, but she agreed with Mercedes that I let anger blind my judgment and that I always need to remember that I have people that do look up to me like Stevie and Stacy. She also added that I was lucky I did not get suspended from school. When my dad came back from the market, my mom filled him in with what was going on while I went for a walk with my grandpa.

"So, Sam please tell me about this Mercedes girl… I saw her in some of the pictures from the trip to Spain and I have to be honest I was surprised but then after hearing all the great things your mom said about her I started to like her." My grandpa was the wisest person I knew and I knew a pep talk was about to happen.

"Why were you surprised? Because she's black or because she's not typically thin." I said a bit vexed.

"Something like that, son. But, please tell me, what is she like?" Grandpa insisted.

"I don't know where to begin, grandpa. She's just an amazing girl, with an amazing heart. She made me the happiest boy on this planet. She made me a better person, more responsible and the one thing I will always love about her the most is that she accepted me as who I am. The dorky, southern boy with dyslexia, with a good ability for impressions and a passion for comic books. She understood me, grandpa, and she is so talented. She can sing so remarkably. You need to listen to her; she can belt some pretty high notes. Simply said, she is just the most beautiful girl in my eyes; no girl in this planet could ever compete with her. For me, Mercedes Jones is perfect." I said while tears were falling from my eyes.

"So, why didn't you fight for her? If she really is as great as you describe her to be you need to find your way back into her heart. If what you both feel for each other is there, then it's worth a try." Grandpa's words were encouraging.

"But, I don't know what to do. After we broke up, I sort of zoned out. I stopped talking to my friends, I quit two of the clubs I was part of and I avoided Mercedes. How can I go back to Ohio and get everything back?" I was sad, I felt defeated.

"Sam, this is one battle I can't fight for you but what I can tell you is that if this girl and your friends really care about you they will give you a chance. People make mistakes every day at every hour but it is up to us to forgive and forget or to hold on to unnecessary grudges. You need to sort out what you wanna do first and how will you approach her. Remember the wounds are not healed but one day they will seal completely." I was grateful my grandpa was helping me see the light. I knew it was not going to be a smooth ride but I was willing to take it, if it meant that I'd be together with Mercedes again.

The Monday after we came back from Thanksgiving vacation, I saw life from a different spectrum. I was feeling renewed. I met Mike and Joe the day before to clear the air with them, and they were happy that I looked like my old self again; it felt good to have my two best friends back in my life, as well as their girlfriends. They were my key to know how Mercedes was doing and their insights were my guides to construct my plan to win Mercedes back.

Someone that decided to make a comeback into my life after almost a month without knowing anything about her was Lacey. I despised the girl, I knew it was not kind of me to feel this way about her but I could not help it.

"Hello Sammy, how are you this fine Monday? I have to ask you, why did you unfriend me from Facebook? Why have you been avoiding me? Are you not over your ex?" She said in a chipper tone that drove me insane and not in a good way.

"For you, I am Sam, not Sammy. We are not friends or anything close to that. I gave you a chance and you blew it. Now, you are just somebody that I know, unfortunately." I said in the most acidic tone possible. "That's the reason I unfriended you and the reason I am avoiding you. I just don't like you anymore. Because of you, I lost the only girl I love. Yes, I am not over Mercedes, I still love her very much." I said.

"How can you love her? She's not appropriate for you? She's just so… fat and ugly."

"Oh… Hell to the no. You did not just go there." He said channeling his inner Mercedes. "Look, just because you look like what society thinks is amazing for a girl, doesn't mean that everybody is going to automatically like you. You are rotten, you are hollow and you need to learn a life lesson soon. Mercedes has a pure, amazing and giving heart. She's talented and for me she's beautiful and flawless." I was livid.

"Whatever Sam, anyways you lost her and that is my satisfaction. You may not want to be with me but you are not with her." She said triumphant.

"What do you mean?"

"Sam, I wanted you. You were dating her. One plus one equals, yeah… you do the math." She said with and devilish smirk.

"Crap. Crap. Crap. You did this. You planned everything. You are worse than I thought. Thank God, I am done with you. I should yell at you and tell you a million of things but you know what I am not. You are not worth it and soon life will pass you the bill. I lost a battle but I am winning Mercedes back."

She started laughing maniacally. "Well, good luck with that Sam. Don't talk about life passing a bill on me, when life is busy passing you the bill as we speak."

"Huh?"

"I don't know how you are going to get Mercedes back because I just heard from some Cheerios that she moved back to New York."

"You're lying. She will never do something like that." The beating of my heart started to accelerate.

"This time I am not. You should ask you friend Quinn." She said as she maliciously winked at me and walked away.

I could not believe it. Mercedes could not have moved to New York. I need to find Quinn and I need to find her fast. I thought stars were starting to align in my favor because I found her not too long after.

"Quinn, I need to-." She cut me mid-sentence.

"Yes, it is true. I found out yesterday when we met at the park by her house. She asked me to give you this. Sam, she was devastated. She took a radical way out of everything. She was not the Mercedes I know and love. " She said with the saddest expression. She handed me a sealed envelope that had my name written in the front side in her remarkable handwriting. I opened it and I started reading,

_Dear Sam: _

_By the time you get this short letter, I am going to be far away from you; far away from all this mess and hating myself for not finding the courage to fight for you. I really cannot find a logical explanation to what happened between us but I have to say that the time we spent together, all of it, for me was magical and unforgettable. You are my only love, Sam, I want you to keep that in mind always, that is the reason I am moving back to New York because I am not ready to see you move on with your life if I am not in it to enjoy it with you. I know this might sound selfish but I wanted you to be mine, really mine, just as you used to tell me. I want you to be the best in everything you decide to do because you are talented and smart. I wish you the best today and always, I will cherish you and all the memories forever. _

_I LOVE YOU, Samuel Dwight Evans and I always will. _

_Forever Yours, _

_Mercedes Joanne Jones_

I read that letter repeatedly. She wanted to fight for me but she could not find the courage and she left, she left for good. She moved back to New York, she never gave me a chance to win her back. Life loved to play freakishly crazy games with me. I started to walked absently towards the parking lot, I needed to be alone and far away from the place that will always remind me of her; Lima, Ohio.

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**A/N: **What do guys think? Will Mercedes be completely happy in New York? What is going to happen to Sam? Do you think he will move on to other things? Will he move from Lima? Do you think Lacey will strike again? Hit me up with some suggestions, I will take them under consideration.

A big Thank You to my Beta, Rose for her continuous help and support. I love you girl!

Until next time!


	8. Christmas Bliss?

Hello Fanfiction World! It's good to be back! Yes, I know it took me forever but I had my reasons... Here's my Tumblr explanation from a couple days ago... post/29744726752/i-finished-chapter-8-yay

To make up for the wait I wrote a lengthy chapter... I don't think it is my finest piece to date but I hope you guys like it...

Thanks for the follows, favorites and reviews... they make happy, happy!

As always I wanna apologize in advance for any mistakes you guys might see... My Beta and I are humans, which means perfection is not part of our lives...

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents and her Auntie) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to the rightful owners.

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Chapter 8

**Sam's POV**

As soon as I got to my car, I did not know where to go or what to do. Yes, I wanted to leave Lima but it was not a simple task to do. I knew my parents were going to flip and I did not want to leave in bad terms with them. I drove home skipping yet another day of school. As soon as I got home, I ran to my room and sank on my bed. I look at the picture frame I had on the nightstand by my bed and sighed,

"Mercedes Jones, why are you so damn frustrating?"

I closed my eyes and let my mind linger at the memories we shared the time we were together. It was hard not to feel sad and angry. Sad because I missed all the happy times we shared and everything we went through. Angry because I knew we were meant for each other. We gave up on us and on what we had so easily. Between wondering and napping, I did not realize time flew by and I was 45 minutes late to pick Stevie and Stacy from school. _This is just great! _I thought. I grabbed my car keys and my phone, while driving to my siblings' school I got a call from my mom. She was upset.

"You better have a great excuse to be late for picking up your brother and sister from school." Mom said on the other line.

"No, mom, I don't" I said. I just wanted to hang up, pick up the kids and drive back to the house to think of a strategy to get out of Lima.

"What is going on, son? You are not the kind of person that will fail to complete a simple task like picking up Stevie and Stacy." The change in her tone was obvious; she knew something was up.

"Look mom, I said there's nothing going on. I gotta go, I just got to the kids' school." I responded apprehensively.

"We will have a conversation when I get home, Sam. I don't like this attitude of yours." She hung up.

As soon as we got home, Stevie and Stacy walked to the kitchen to get some snacks. I walked to my dad's office to get some information I needed and my mind went straight to how crappy my day started. I pulled out my phone and looked that I had some text messages from Mike and Quinn. I answered the messages and decided it was time to give Mercedes a piece of my mind. I sent her a message and went back to my assignment at hand. I was not expecting an answer to that message anytime soon.

Around 45 minutes later, my mother walked in,

"Sam, we need to talk." She took a seat on the little leather sofa and gesture me to come sit next to her.

"About what?" I said as I walked to the sofa.

"About the reason you have been acting so distant lately. Sam, Quinn called me after our conversation. She told me you skipped school after finding out Mercedes has moved back to New York." She gripped my hand tenderly. I kept looking at the carpet; my eyes began to accumulate tears that seconds later were falling freely down my cheeks.

"Am I late?" My dad said as he seated in the chair across from us.

"No, darling, I just started this conversation. I'm glad you made it."

"Is this an intervention?" I asked.

"Sam, we are worried about you. Mercedes was your first serious girlfriend and we know how devastated you might be feeling right now. But, you need to speak up, you can't let your pain consume you. This family has been through a lot and the reason we managed to make it through it all is because we stood together." My dad said.

"With all due respect, but, how can you know what am I going through since you, both, have been happily together since you guys met. You, guys, have the perfect relationship." I said.

This time my mom answered. "Sam, we were teenagers once. We have experienced all this first hand."

"Mom, she moved. She just gave up, how do you expect me to react? Sincerely, I just wanna leave Lima, too." I shouted.

"This is so out of your character, Sam. We get that you are hurt but you can't just give up on everything because Mercedes left. It's your senior year, son. You are just beginning to live your life. You can't just quit everything, pack your bags and leave. You need to man up and face this, son. Your mother and I know you are stronger than this." My dad stated firmly.

"Also Sam, you don't know what's in store for you. Life is a path that one day takes us somewhere and the next day takes us on a new direction. Maybe sometime in the future your path and Mercedes' path would merge again. You can't really think it is ok to leave us behind."

"Mom, but… argh! Why is this so difficult? To be honest, I just wanna go to New York and get Mercedes back. I miss her so much and knowing that I won't be seeing her anymore is what's taking a toll on me." I said wiping off some of the tears that kept falling. "I know moving away is not a smart decision. Either way, Christmas break is just around the corner and switching schools now is hard to do." I said.

"We are glad you are not insisting in that crazy idea of yours. We want what's best for you and staying here with us is the best thing right now." My mom added. "Let's get ready for dinner." We all stood up, hugged and walked out of the room like the family we were.

At the beginning of December, a week after Mercedes moved, I did my yearly room deep clean up and I found the Christmas gift I had for Mercedes in my closet, it was a photo album that held the pictures I liked from the time we were together. I sat on my bed and looked carefully at each picture, every shrug, every smile, yes, we were happy. Even though we were no longer together, I wanted her to have it so I decided to stop by her parents' house to drop it sometime later.

A couple of days later, I got a little package from Mercedes, I was ecstatic but as soon as I opened I felt like my heart stopped beating; it was the promise ring I gave her last Christmas. She sent a little note saying that she was returning it because she broke her part of the promise and it was not good for her to keep something that would bring her pain. I did not agree with that, I knew this because I also managed to break the promise because I decided to fight for her a little too late after the break-up. I placed the velvet box on top of the photo album and decided to return it to her. She needed to know that I loved her no matter what.

After finishing the last details on the photo album a few days later I stopped by her parents' house, after ringing the bell a couple of times her mother opened the door,

"Sam, hello… What a surprise! What brings you to our home?" She said cordially as she ushered me inside. She guided me to the living room and pointed me to take a seat on the chair across from her.

"Well… Mrs. Jones, I wanted to stopped by and give you this. It's Mercedes Christmas gift." I handed her the box that held the photo album and on top of it was a letter for her daughter.

"Wow, this is very kind of you." She said smiling.

"Also, I wanted you to give her this. It is the promise ring I gave her last year. I got it on the mail a few days ago and I want her to keep it. Mrs. Jones, I still care about her and I think she is the best thing that ever happened to me. It may sound cliché and repetitive but that's how I feel."

"Sam, I know how you feel about her and I know how my daughter feels about you. I never completely agreed with her decision of moving back to New York but I wanted her to be happy." She said while putting the boxes on top of the coffee table. "Also Sam, you need to understand that you were Mercedes first serious relationship and she didn't have any experience and even though I helped her as a mother, there were some things that she needed to learn on her own. I know she's not completely happy in New York but at least she's doing better."

"Ma'am, Mercedes was my first girlfriend as well and I am not trying to make her pain look less than mine but she thought only about herself when she moved. She didn't even face me; she just left me a letter with Quinn." I said slightly irritated.

"Sam, she didn't face you because I told her not to. I didn't think it was a good idea at the time, you guys never spoke after the break-up. It was not going to be healthy for the both of you to deal with a farewell at that moment." She pointed out. "Sam, why did you want to move when you found out she had moved?"

"I wanted to move because I can't see myself without having Mercedes around. I don't wanna sound like a creep or anything but she means the world to me and when she's not around things don't make any sense to me."

"You are both so young. You both have a long way ahead of you but I hope that you'll both find a way back to each other because you make each other happy and that is what counts in my book."

"I hope so, ma'am." I said as I stood up. "Sorry I have to cut this short but I have to go back home, I still need to finish some studying for my winter finals. As always, it was a pleasure to talk with you. Please send my regards to Mercedes and let her know that I think about her every day." When we made to the front door she hugged me, wished me luck on my tests, and added, "I will let her know Samuel, as soon as tomorrow when we move back to New York. The moving company is coming tomorrow to pack everything and take it to storage since we don't have any space for the furniture in our home there. We will keep the same cellphone numbers so you can stay in touch with us if you like." I proceeded to hug her even tighter and told her how much I was going to miss her and Mr. Jones; they meant a lot to me.

As soon as I got home, I walked to my room but as I passed my parents' bedroom door, I heard my mother on the phone,

"_Deborah, I can't believe you are leaving us too. It does not hurt to add that I wish you the best of success as a professional and in your personal life." _My mother was speaking to Mercy's mom and little did I know that this conversation was leading to a fantastic surprise.

Winter break arrived and I could not be happier the school semester was over. Lacey, decided to transfer schools also and Marcus apologized to me and explained that he was just a pawn on Lacey's plan and that he felt sorry that it actually worked. He also added that he thought I still needed to fight for Mercedes because he thought that what we had was real. We never became friends but we did not hate each other that for me, was an improvement. On the morning of December 21st, my mother came into my room,

"Sam, son, there's something I need you to do." She said with the biggest smile on her face.

"What is it, mom?" I said confused.

"I need you to go to the attic and get our suitcases. We are leaving on a trip tomorrow."

"Are you kidding me?" I asked.

"No, we are going somewhere special but I am not letting you know until we arrive at the airport tomorrow. Just make sure you packed accordingly for winter and add some elegant clothing also. If we need something else, we will buy it there." She said as she left the room. I needed some clear explanation but I knew I was not going to get one that day. I went to the attic and grabbed everything we needed and I packed everything my mom told me to pack.

The next day I woke up full of questions but I stumbled into a house full of giggles and happiness.

"What's going on?" I asked as I walked to the dining room to eat breakfast. "Why are you all so happy?"

"We are going on trip, Sammy? We are supposed to be happy!" Stacy screeched while getting some bacon from a plate.

"Also big brother, we are going to a really fun place." Stevie added.

"How is that Stevie and Stacy know where are we going and I am left in the dark?" I asked stunned.

"Sam, that's because they found the boarding passes not because we told them and we made them promise to keep their mouth shut but they couldn't. At least they didn't say where we are going." Dad said.

"Oh great, this is going to be a long day for me. This is just great." I said exasperated.

"Sam, you will know in time. Now, let's eat some breakfast we need to be at the airport at 1pm and Dayton is a couple hours away." Mom said.

We finished breakfast, got ready for the ride and around 10:30, we were on our way. We got the airport around noon and I decided it was time to find out the truth, either way, there was no going back now.

"Well mom you said you were going to tell me where we are going as soon as we got to the airport, so here we are. Shoot!"

She looked nervous. "Well Sam, we are going to New York."

"What? Out of all the states in this country we have to go to New York." I was pissed.

"Well, we got an invitation from Mercedes' parents" She said.

"You have got to be kidding me." I started to pace back and forth trying to ease my anger.

"Look Sam, we have been in touch with Deborah and her husband and we all agreed that you and Mercedes need to see each other and Christmas time was the time you guys were the happiest. Maybe you guys can rekindle your relationship." Mom said optimistically.

"Or maybe we can make things worse. I don't think it is a good idea but what the heck, I can't go back out now."

The flight to New York was longer than I thought or maybe my anger just made it feel like it was longer than what it really took. When we got to baggage claim Mercedes' mom was waiting for us, she greeted us warmly and said,

"I am so glad you guys are here." She turned her look to me and added, "I had a conversation with Mercedes, she's not expecting you but I gave her everything you asked me to give her on Christmas day, today. She was happy. She is with my sister as we speak and my husband is setting everything up for tonight's dinner. I am dropping all of you at the hotel and then will set up a car service for you to move around the city during your stay here. I have to go the hospital to check on patient as soon as I drop you off but then I will head home to get ready. I need you to be there by 7."

As soon as Mercedes' mother dropped us off at the hotel my head started to spin, I was just hours away from seeing my Mercy again and I did not know how I was going to react or how she was going to react. Nerves started to take over. The car that Mercedes' mom set up for us arrived promptly at 6pm, New York traffic was bad and it took us almost 50 minutes to get to their building. We walked into their beautifully decorated penthouse and I felt like I was walking into a movie set for an apartment in the Upper East Side. Everything was so perfect, so chic and expensive. I stayed away from all the expensive looking things that I might break. A few minutes later, my parents fell into a comfortable conversation with Mercedes' parents and Stevie and Stacy were having a blast with Mercedes' aunt. I just stood by the Christmas tree expecting her to walk in at anytime. I was so caught up admiring their Christmas tree decoration that I did not realize the silence that occurred when she walked in. As soon as I turned around, I saw her. She looked amazingly gorgeous in a red dress that hugged the curves of her body marvelously. I walked towards her, not knowing what to do exactly but as soon as I had her close to me, I grabbed her hand and said,

"Merry Christmas, Mercedes."

Never in my life had I thought she was going to react the way she did.

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**Mercedes' POV**

The flight from Ohio to New York was surprisingly emotional. I cried, I laughed, and it was because of Sam. The whole flight I remembered everything I left with him. I knew I was going to miss him like crazy but then again, this was my time to reminisce about my life and rise from the mess that we created. As soon as I got to JFK I felt like I was home, but I also felt empty. New York was the place I grew up and created most of my great memories, but Lima was the place I met my true love, and that was one undeniable detail. Walking towards the baggage claim, I saw my Aunt Sophie,

"Hey, Auntie Sophie! Long time, no see!" I exclaimed and hugged her.

"I know sweetheart, you know I am not good at staying in touch with people and that includes family. I hope that this time that we are going to spend together will help us bond properly." She said with nonchalant expression.

"I hope so too." I said picking up my bags.

"Are you hungry?" Aunt Sophie asked, walking towards the exit.

"A little bit."

"Let's go to Veloce… I'm in the mood for pizza." She said excited.

"Wow! I haven't been there in ages. Sure, let's go." This place was one of the most amazing pizzeria in East Village. I was happy Auntie was helping me to get back in my NYC groove.

While eating we chatted, well she actually just got the details of why I moved back to New York, but we did had a great time. I got back to my lovely Park Avenue little castle, started to unpack, and tried to get myself ready for my return to Constance. I kept looking at that uniform trying to assimilate that tomorrow I was not going to walk the McKinley hallways, instead I was going to be surrounded by Constance girls. I was not going to see Sam or any of my friends from Ohio. At this realization, I decided to get in touch with my New York friends starting with Sugar Motta.

"Hello Mercedes, I must say I am surprised you are calling me. I haven't been able to get a hold of you since senior year started." Sugar said as her hello.

"Hey Sugar. I'm sorry, I know I haven't been the best of friends to you but I promise that is going to change." I said.

"Mercedes darling, it's ok. I'm just messing with you. I know you have been busy; I can see it on Facebook. So, what is new with you?"

"Phew… I'm glad you are not mad at me! About me, well… um… errr… things have been constantly changing. For starters, I'm back in New York."

"What? Are you serious? Don't play with my emotions." She said in an extremely excited tone that reminded me of a siren.

"Yes, Sugar… I am back." I said serenely. "Actually, I start at Constance tomorrow."

"No way! I'm so excited, but what happened? I thought everything was going so fantastic. I saw pics of your boyfriend Sam and your friends from the 'we don't have an airport' town." She laughed about her comment, I lightly laughed. The fact that Lima was a city that did not have an airport was a joke to all my NYC friends.

"Well, I'll explain it all to you tomorrow. Lunch at the steps of the Met?" I asked.

"Sure. Like good old times." We said our goodbyes and I went back to my last minute preparations. Before going to bed, I went to my aunt's room to wish her goodnight but she had something else in mind.

"Mercedes, come… sit here with me." She was in her bed with her back against the headboard, with a book in her hands and her reading glasses on. I walked towards the bed and sat at the end, facing her. "I know we had a little talk when we went to the pizzeria, but I need to ask you a question and I want you to be totally honest with me." She said softly.

"OK. Shoot." I was up for anything at this point.

"Why did you run away?" She had a nerve-wrecking look that was making me sweat like crazy.

"Run away?" I asked confused.

"Yes. Why did you leave everything behind, if your feelings for this kid were true?"

I felt ambushed by her question. I never felt like I ran away from Sam. Yes, we never spoke again after the break-up but it was because we were both trying to heal and avoid the awkwardness or at least that is what I thought.

"Auntie, I'm not running away, I am trying to heal. We both screwed up and well… our happy ending went down the drain." That was the best I could come up with it. This conversation with my aunt was taking a course I was not ready to face.

"Girl, everyone in this world screws up, but it is up to us to help them realize their mistake and help them grow. In your case, you just piled his mistakes, according to you, and when he did something that took a toll on you, you just dropped him like a bad habit." Those words stung worse than a bee's sting. "Don't get me wrong, I am glad to have you back and I am glad my sister and your dad are coming back too, but I wanted all of you to be back for the right reasons not because of some teenage break down of yours. I love you, yes, but I can't condone any act of immaturity."

"Wow, Aunt Sophie… you really are a woman of very strong opinions." The battle she started was one I was not going to win, not today or tomorrow. I took the easy way out and started to wave my little white flag. "Maybe, you are right. Maybe, I acted out of foolishness, but I was blinded by my pain."

"Of course I'm right. I never met the boy but when your mom told me all this awesome things about him, I started to like him. Also, there's a little story that I will tell you later and you will understand why I feel this way towards all this, but I am not going to bother you anymore tonight, tomorrow is a new day. You need to rest because you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow. Sleep tight, sweetie."

"Goodnight" I stood up, walked to my room, and sat on my bed. After that, I called Quinn and told her that I made it in one piece, that I was ready to start at Constance the next day and that I was missing everybody already, particularly Sam. We spoke for like an hour and then I headed to bed, Monday was going to be a new adventure in my book.

Going back to Constance was better than I thought. All my old friends received me with open arms, made me the center of attention and that was a bit hard to swallow. Now I knew how Sam felt the first days of our disastrous senior year. In less than a day, I realized it is not easy to have all the eyes of the school on you. I finally found Sugar; this girl always made me crack up with laughter. She started squeaking and screaming like she just ran into a celebrity.

"Hello Mercy… OMG… It's true, you are back! You are officially back!" She was being a bit too loud for my taste. "People, the 'it' girl is back." She yelled to the other classmates that were on the hallway. I wanted to hide in the first hole I could find.

"Keep your voice down, Sugar! There's no need for a spectacle, everybody knows I'm back. I just got here and I am the 'hot topic' in the school's blog." Our school had this Tumblr blog where students will post things about the school or any other topics of interest. Today I was the most important thing. _Why is she back? Is she going to become the Queen Bee she was back in sophomore year? Where is the hot, blonde, southern boyfriend of hers? _These were the kind of question roaming on the blog today. I was not going to answer any of those questions today or ever. My private life was not up for discussion. "There's a lot I need to tell you but not here. You know the walls in this school have some sort of hearing and speaking abilities, also we have class." We started walking to our first class of the day. "Remember… Lunch at the steps of the Met!"

"Oh yes, the good traditions are coming back!" She squeaked.

The morning classes were boring as I expected but it was relaxing not having to deal with the strange stares I got at McKinley post the break-up. At some point on the period before lunch my mind started to play these tricky games and the image of Sam came back to me. I missed sitting next to him in the classes we had been together or at glee club or just being around him. He gave me an amazing feeling of happiness just by being close to me. I felt the tears forming but I was not ready to break down on my first day back at Constance. I pushed those heartbreaking feelings to the side; right when I finally focused on the class the bell rang announcing it was time for lunch. Lunch at the steps of the Met was as pleasant as always. I had time to re-bond with Sugar and explain to her everything that went down between Sam and me. Sugar, like everybody else that knew the story told me that I rushed into my break-up decision and that I was going to regret that in time. Little did she know; I was already regretting the decision. I miss Sam every day, at every hour and every minute but all this drama was too recent and it needed to cool down.

Right after school, I decided to walk home. Walking the streets of Manhattan was a blast. When I got home, my aunt was already fixing us dinner and I started to work on some assignments. In that moment, my phone buzzed and when I looked at the screen, I started to have abnormal heart palpitations. It was a text from Sam.

"_Mercy, why? I still can't believe you moved away. Even though you said in your letter that you still loved me and you thought about fighting for us. WHY DID YOU GIVE UP ON US? I never did. I was just scared to show it because I didn't know how you were going to react and the day I finally find the courage to do it you're gone. Why?_

A few weeks later Christmas break arrived and somewhere in between so did my parents. I was finally in a better mood because they always lighted my days. On the December 22nd, we finally decorated our home and the Christmas spirit was finally on. I still have things to celebrate and people around me to help me celebrate. I had my parents, my family, my friends from New York and my friends from Lima but the big difference was not having Sam. Three weeks ago, I finally returned the promise ring he gave me last Christmas. I thought that since I did not keep my part of the promise it was not right for me to have it any longer.

At the end of the night, I was sitting by my room's window enjoying the city view. I was so focused I did not notice when my mother walked inside my room.

"What are you thinking about, Mercedes?" I turned my gaze from the window to her with hesitation. I did not want her to see the sadness I was carrying on.

"It's nothing. I'm just reflecting."

"About Sam?"

"Well... Yes. There's nothing I can hide from you. You know me very well." I returned my gaze to the outside view. "Mom, this time last year I was the happiest girl on this planet, this year not so much. I can't deny anymore that I lost a part of me when I broke-up with Sam and that's something I am never getting back. It's been almost 2 months, mom. I miss him every day. I keep reading the last text message he sent me repeatedly. I know I screwed up but so did he. Why is it that I can't get over him?" I seethed exasperated.

"Because he's not over you either, Mercedes. Your connection to him is pretty much alive. I'll be right back." My mother stormed out from my room and came back 5 minutes later, holding a gift beautifully wrapped. A shy smile formed on my lips.

"What is that?" I asked curiously.

"I was supposed to wait until the 25th but I needed to cheer you up somehow. I don't want you to spend the Christmas break locked in this room. There's something I need to tell you first, the day before we left Lima Sam came to the house. We talked and he gave me this. He said it was your Christmas present and he still wanted you to have it. Also, he wanted you to keep this." My mom extended her hand and handed me the velvet box that held the promise ring Sam gave me last year.

"Mom-" I tried to speak but she interrupted me.

"Let me finish, darling. Mercy when Sam found out you moved, he tried to move as well but his parents stopped him. He told me that it was difficult to comprehend why you moved. He told me that he knew things were difficult between the two of you but not to that extent. You changed each other's lives. He still cares about you. Mercedes, he send texts messages from time to time trying to get to know what's going on with you. You are very much present in his thoughts. I am pretty sure he'll explain himself in this letter." Mom placed the gift on my bed and the letter on top of it. I was holding the velvet box like it was my life.

"Mom, but we never spoke after the break-up" I managed to say.

"Just read the letter maybe you will find the answer to all the questions. I'm going to the hospital to check-up on one of my patients but I'll be back in like two hours. Your dad is getting some food, so you have the house to yourself." After that, she left and I finally grabbed the letter.

I opened the letter and got the single page he used out of the envelope. Sam least favorite pastime was writing, his struggle with dyslexia was always keeping him from developing that area, but whenever he tried, he was great. He did not use many words but everything he wrote was plain magical.

"_Dear Mercedes, _

_I do not even know how to start this. It has been quite a while since I have written a letter to anyone, but you are not just anyone, you are the girl I cannot stop loving even though you hurt me badly. Still, I am not going to bother with stupid wailings. _

_Mercedes, since the day I met you I knew you were the girl for me. I wanted you to be mine; really mine and I did everything to prove that to you, things I never thought I was going to be capable of doing. You made me happy, what the heck… you still make me happy. Thinking about you lights up my life because you changed my life for the better. _

_I do have a confession to make, the day I found out you moved I wanted to leave Lima and never look back but my parents found out and stopped me. They told me not to throw my life away because of your decision. They told me to stay focused on things that matters and one day, if it was part of our destiny, we will find each other and make-up for the time lost. I believe this, fervently, because I believe that what we had and still have, even though we are no longer together, is real and will never change. That is the reason I am returning you the ring, because my part of the promise is still alive and I know that deep down you still think that this relationship, between us is plausible. I know that right now, we have everything going against us but I know that in time things will get better. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Mercedes. Never in your right mind, forget this. _

_I wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and I hope you like the gift I sent you._

_I love you with everything I am, _

_Sam_

I read the letter one more time. I could not believe that I was so important to Sam, even after these months apart. To be honest, I thought he was going to move on and live a very happy life away from me; instead, he kept treasuring and cherishing every moment we had together. I could not hold my tears of happiness. He still loved me the same way I loved him. I proceeded to open the gift but my aunt interrupted me.

"Isn't it a bit early for opening gifts?" She looked nosily.

"Yes, Auntie Sophie but this is a gift from Sam. He gave it to mom the day before they came back." I said happily. Now that I knew that Sam still cared about me, it made me feel guilty that I took the easy way out of his life but it gave me some hope about the future.

"Oh! That explains the smile on your face. I haven't seen you this happy in a while." She said.

"I am not happy because he sent me this, I am happy because of what he said in this letter." I handed her the letter for her to read. Something I loved from the time we spent together, before my parents moved back, was sharing things with her and this connection happened the day she told the story about Frank, the guy she had always loved but lost to a stupidity close to what happened between Sam and I.

She started reading the letter while I opened the gift. When I finally saw what it was, I could not hold my emotion. It was a photo album of us. A photo album that covered the time we spent together, since the days we were friends until a week before we broke-up. It was beautiful, special and I had no words to express my emotion. Again, I started to cry.

"Wow, Mercedes. This guy is a keeper. He might not be perfect with words but he is perfect in every other way. Please tell me that you are going to call him to thank him for this gesture." She said with an awe expression on her face.

"I will, tonight. And tomorrow you have to go shopping with me I need to get something special for Sam." I said.

"Sounds great to me." My aunt said.

We walked to the dining room to start setting up the table for dinner, my aunt informed me that we were going to have some friends coming for dinner and we had to set up the table for five additional guests. I did not pay any special attention to that and set up the five additional places. When my dad walked in I was surprised he had people from a catering company behind him. They settled everything left to do and my dad told me to get ready for dinner and to dress accordingly to the occasion.

An hour later, I was ready to go out the main room and meet our guests. When I was walking towards the living room, I started to hear the sound of familiar giggles. They only person I knew that would giggle like that was Stacy. I panicked. I finally made it to the living room and there they were, Mary and Dwight Evans talking amicably to my parents while Stevie and Stacy were laughing at something aunt Sophie told them. Then, standing by our professionally decorated Christmas tree, was Sam. When everyone noticed I walked in the room, everyone went silent. Sam turned around, walked up to me, grabbed my hands and said,

"Merry Christmas, Mercedes."

As soon as he said that, I did not care about the people that were on that room, I grabbed the back of his head and pushed him close to me a kissed him passionately until we both ran out of air.

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**A/N:** Yes? No? Maybe? What do you guys think? Lacey is gone, YAY! Marcus apologized, YAY! Sam is NY at Mercedes' place, they kissed? Will this mean? Hit me up with suggestions. This story is going to have a time jump soon, But I don't know in which chapter exactly (I still have to go over some details with my Beta and I need to organize everything).

To my amazing and patient Beta, Rose... A big Thank You... I love you and I owe you all this... :)

A big hug to all of you...

Until next time!


	9. Do We Have A Future?

Hey! Here's chapter 9, it is a shorty and the dynamic of the storytelling changed... I wanted it to flow without been repetitive... It is my first time writing in third person and I was like, ouch... this is harder than I thought. Hope you guys like it and don't forget to review! I had a blast reading the reviews from the last update... Between the thought of Mercedes slapping and Sam or getting into a heated make-out session in front of their parents I laughed like a crazy person.

As always I wanna apologize in advance for any mistakes you guys might see... My Beta and I are humans, which means perfection is not part of our lives...

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents and her Auntie) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs; the rights go to the rightful owners.

PS. I am not impressed with the Promotional Pic for Season 4 and I am not getting my hopes up for any Samcedes moment...

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Chapter 9

After pulling from the kiss, Mercedes' mind started to run like crazy. _What just happened? What I was thinking? My parents, his parents, my aunt, oh God… Stevie and Stacy._ _But, he kissed me back, he kissed me back! _These thoughts filled her mind and she knew she was in trouble. Sam on the other hand was enjoying the moment and laughing internally at the sight of Mercedes' face. She looked at the people in the room over Sam's shoulder and quickly pulled him into an embrace to hide her blush.

"Wow… Mercedes, that was intense!" Sam whispered.

"Oh… I know… I am in so much trouble for initiating it." She whispered while giving her parents a shy look.

"So am I for keeping it going." He said laughing.

Sam broke from the embrace and turned around to face everybody. He grabbed Mercedes' hand and both of their bodies shifted because of the spark that ran through their spines after the touch.

"I-I… I'm sorry for what just happened." Mercedes stammered while holding Sam's hand a bit tighter.

All the adults started to laugh, while Stevie and Stacy looked puzzlingly at each other.

"Oh! Mercy, we know you both just couldn't keep your lips away from each other. I just feel sorry Stevie and Stacy. I'm pretty sure they are scarred for life."

"We have seen them kissed before." Stevie and Stacy said in harmony.

"It's yucky but it's better and nicer than seeing mom and dad kiss." Stevie said. Stacy froze at her brother's comment, while everybody else laughed soothing the tense mood.

The servers invited everyone to take their places at the table as dinner was about to be served. Mercedes sat across from Sam and as soon as everybody took their places all of them fell into a nice chat about everything that had been going on. The love-struck teenagers glimpsed at each other throughout the entire dinner smiling at each other. After the dinner, Mercedes took Sam to a terrace located at the roof of her building. She knew they needed to talk and she was going to take advantage of every minute she had with him. As soon as they got comfortable at a swing, enjoying the chilly weather, the city view and the company, Sam started to talk,

"Mercedes, you look great. Even more beautiful than before and I thought that was impossible to top." He said looking at her deep brown eyes.

"Thanks Sam, you don't look so bad yourself. I'm digging the new longer hairstyle." She said as she messed with his hair.

"So, how have you been? How is life in the Big Apple?" He asked.

"Well, it is good, could be better. I am not going to deny it. I love New York and living here is an adventure, even for the native New Yorkers. School is ok, I was only there for like a month before Christmas break rolled in, so, I didn't get the chance to truly settle in yet, but I got back in touch with all my friends and things are looking up. And before you ask, yes… I miss living in Lima and everyone I met there. That takes me to my not surprising question, how's life in Lima?"

"Things are the same, school, football, friends and trying to survive. I never joined glee club again out of shame. I feel like I deceived all of our friends and Mr. Shue for quitting so randomly." He said looking at the skyscrapers that adorned his sight, trying to avoid Mercedes' stare.

"Sam, look at me." She gently grabbed his chin and turned his head so they would face each other. "I don't think Mr. Shue or any of our friends will give you a hard time for that. I'm pretty sure they are going to be thrilled to have you back in the club." She said brightly.

"Do you think so?" He asked trying to sound hopeful.

"I am 100% sure. You should know this better than me; you've known these people longer than I have." She said as she touched his left cheek.

"Mercy… I miss you." He said grabbing her hand.

"Sam…" she said aware of where this conversation was heading.

"Please Mercedes, let me speak. We have to address our issues and I think now it's the time. I'm only going to be in town for a week and I want to make the most out of this trip. We need to figure out where we stand and where we want to go." Sam said in a serious but soft tone. Mercedes missed the sound of his voice; his voice was like music to her ears.

"Well… Umm… Oh great! I am lost for words… Look, my feelings for you haven't changed, Sam. They are pretty much alive, kicking and screaming, but we need to take things slow this time. Even though I don't feel like we rushed into things the first time around, I do feel like we wanted to make everything so perfect that we lost track of what a real relationship is. I think that was the main reason things got so ugly for us in such a short time. Our honeymoon stage lasted too long." She stated laughing. "I think we overlooked all the bad things, our mistakes and let's be honest when we started struggling we only discussed the superficial aspects of what was happening. That's the reason Lacey managed to get between us." She added.

"So, you know about Lacey?" He asked astounded.

"Quinn told me something about it like three days ago but she told me she didn't know all the details." She said casually. Quinn and Mercedes became thick as thieves and Quinn was her special investigator and reporter from Lima. Every time Mercedes wanted to know something, she knew Quinn was a text, a phone call or a Skype date away.

"Well… Long story made short. Lacey wanted us to break-up so she could get together with me. She enlisted Marcus as her helper and well, the rest is history. She confessed everything to me the day I found out you moved. I was mortified but I kept my rant classy, she didn't deserved any of my energy. She only lasted a semester in McKinley; she transferred to Carmel High. Marcus apologized and we are now cordial with each other." Sam said.

"Wow, what a bitch! I have to say, I told you she was not a good person but whatever Sam, she is part of the past and I am glad you are being nice to Marcus. I never spoke to him again and I don't have any intentions of speaking to him again." She said bitterly.

"It's not like we are friends, Mercedes. We just acknowledge each other when we run in to each other in the hallways. However, we need to stay on topic, where are we right now? Because after the moment we shared prior to dinner, we both know our feelings for each other are still there. Are we going to try to work this out?" He asked full of hope.

"Sam, in the past couple of months we went through a lot. We broke each other hearts and one kiss is not enough to mend everything. I know the spark between us is there but I think that we should take things slow. You are going back to Lima in-" Sam interrupted her before she could finish what she was about to say.

"Mercy, I could stay here and I could go to school here and we can work things out." He blurted.

"This is exactly what I mean. If we are really meant to be, we don't have to change what is going on in our lives. Our paths will meet again eventually. Sammy, we need to reconnect and the only way we can do this is if we don't jump into a relationship right away." She stated confidently.

"So, you don't want to be with me? Is that what are you saying?" His beautiful green eyes lost their vivacity at the sound of his words.

Mercedes grabbed his head with her hands and locked her gaze with his. "Samuel Dwight Evans, I wanna be with you. I wanna be with you for the rest of my life. I want you to be the father of my kids; I wanna grow old with you. Still, we need to take things slow because not everything is in our favor and I will be damned pissed if I lose you again. I think that we need to stay friends because we have a very real issue against us… DISTANCE. You live in Ohio and I am living here in Manhattan." She let go of his head and grabbed his hand, keeping her gaze locked on his. "This is a very difficult factor to deal with, Sam. I don't want you to be tied to someone that can't be there for you, physically. Also, it is going to kill me to not be able to see you, or kiss you." She said those words aching inside. All that she wanted was to be Sam's girlfriend again but she needed to stay grounded for both of their sakes. She knew they were not going to make it if they break-up again.

"I think we can deal with that, girl. What we have it's strong and real. I know we are young but we are mature enough to deal with this. After the break-up, we haven't been into anybody else or we didn't even try to date anybody. Mercedes, I wanna be yours and I am willing to try a long distance relationship. I want to be bonded to you for the rest of my life and you just said that you want that, too." He got closer to her brushing his lips against her. Then he peppered a few pecks until he deepened his kisses trying to change her mind. He needed her like the air he breathes.

After a long make-out session that left both of them breathless, the two lovebirds decided to carry on with their conversation.

"Sam, I know exactly what you tried to pull with the little session we just enjoyed but I am not going to change my mind. I think we need to heal before jumping into something serious." She said trying to keep some composure but Sam was making it difficult to do. He kept kissing her neck making her weak at times. He knew exactly what he wanted and how to wear her down.

"Sam, stop! Please! Listen to me." She pushed him abruptly gaining his complete attention. "This is exactly what I mean, what good comes from having a relationship if we are going to be almost 600 miles away from each other. I am not going to jump into a long distance relationship with you. I love you, yes! But, I can't be with you in these terms. Let's deal with the last semester of high school and maybe we can try to work something out for college. Have you applied to any schools yet?" She said trying to ease the mood and change the subject.

"Ok! I am going to deal with the fact that we are not going to be together now. I am not happy but you have some points in your favor. About schools, I applied to University of Texas in Austin, OSU, NYU and Stanford." Sam mood went from happy to dry after Mercedes rejection.

"Wow, you pretty much applied to a school on each side of the country but the good news is that we agreed in three of the schools. I applied to Stanford, OSU and NYU as well. Also, I applied to Brown and Yale, but those two are a long shot for me." Mercedes said with a big smile.

"Really? So, we might end up going to the same school! This is so great!" He wrapped her in a tight embrace. "Mercy, if we end up in the same school, do you think it is a good thing if we move-in together?" He asked casually.

"Ok… Sam. I think you totally forgot the definition of keeping the progression of things slow. You are one crazy boy, for sure. Let's see if we end up in the same schools first and then we can talk about living arrangements and other stuff later. For now, let's take care of the important stuff at hand. For now, we are going to be friends, we are going to take things slow and see where this time apart leads us. OK?" She said regaining control of the conversation once again.

"Sure Mercy. Having you, back in my life, is a victory for me but I have to warn you about something." He said.

"What?" She said. She was scared of whatever he was going to say because of the serious look he had.

"I am going to woo you at every possible chance I get and I am going to do this until you put you walls down and let me be your boyfriend again." He said with his signature grin.

"Ha ha ha. You scared me for a moment and about your warning, well… we'll see about that." She said content. "So Sammy, are we cool?"

"Yes Mercy. I am not a 100% happy with the outcome of this conversation but I am going to stick to the plan because I know that sooner or later we are going to be in the same place we were once. I know this time around things are going to be amazing for us and we are going to make it through it all." He wiped the tears that fell from her tearful eyes. "Are these tears of sadness or tears of joy?"

"Definitely joy." She said.

The weather in the terrace became colder by the time they ended the conversation but that did not stop them from enjoying one last hug where they remembered how amazing their bodies felt against each other. Minutes later, they walked back to Mercedes' home to find all the adults engrossed in a conversation, while Stevie and Stacy were asleep in one of the couches.

Dwight Evans noticed them walk in the room and said, "Sam, I think it is time for us to head back to the hotel. Tomorrow is another day and we promised the little ones to do some sightseeing while here."

"Sure. Can Mercedes come with us tomorrow?" Sam asked his parents, hopeful that Mercedes would agree to spend her day with his family.

"Of course, Sam. She is welcome to spend all the time she wants with us." Mary Evans said.

The adults said their goodbyes while Dwight cradled Stevie in his arms and Sam did the same with Stacy. Mercedes walked them all the way to the car downstairs. After saying her goodbyes to Mary and Dwight, she turned to Sam.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

He placed a sleeping Stacy on the back of the car and turned to Mercedes. "You don't have to come if you don't want to." He said expecting she will try to find an excuse to get a way out.

"Sam, I will spend the day with you and your family. I have missed all of you deeply." She hugged him once again and said, "You need to stop doubting every little thing. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day together as friends and we are going to have a good time, OK?" She said pulling out from the embrace.

"Sure!" He kissed her on the cheek and got in the car. She wrapped herself with her coat after waving goodbye to them and walked inside her building. While waiting for the elevator she smiled at the new opportunity life gave her. She knew getting back with Sam was going to be a process but she was enthusiastic to go through it and be happy again.

The week the Evans family spent in New York was greatly enjoyable. Both families bonded and Sam and Mercedes enjoyed every single moment they had together. Joy and laughter filled their days and behind were the days of pain and sorrow. The goodbyes at the end of that week were tearful but also they were full of hopes and expectations. Both of them had a journey to live on their own but each of them knew that at the end of that journey their tracks will come together and a new happily ever after would begin for them.

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**A/N: **What you guys think? Yes or No? Will they make it? Will they attend the same school? Which one? Remember Sam wants to become a doctor and a composer and Mercy wants to get into music. Could they find a school that will help them achieve those dreams together? Do you think that if they find each other at the same school their parents will let them live together? Chapter 10 is going to be full of adventures for these two (hopefully, I think I am hitting my first severe case of writer's block). So, stay tune!

Rose, thank you for your time and the help! You rock!

Until next time!


	10. A Night To Remember

Hey! Here I am again... I know a some people got a bit frustrated with how Chapter 9 turned out, trust me I was one of them and I was the one that wrote it. SMH!

I know I said on the A/N of the last chapter that I was sending this two to college on Chapter 10 but I couldn't do it. I had my iPod on shuffle while working on the outline of this chapter and some of the songs from the High School Musical 3 soundtrack came up (A Night To Remember and Can I Have This Dance?) and an idea struck me, so blame it on Disney for changing my plans for Sam and Mercedes.

I really hope you guys like this update. As always please forgive any mistake you might see, my Beta and I are only mortals and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, if any is use in the chapter; the rights go to the rightful owners.

Here's chapter 10 and don't forget to leave me some love... :)

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Chapter 10

**Mercedes' POV**

Going back to school after Christmas break felt great. I finally got back on my groove at Constance and far away in my memory were the days of questioning and gossiping about my life. I focused on my classes and my senior prom, that special night that meant everything for a teenage girl. This year Constance decided to mix the festivity with an all-boys school of Manhattan, St. Jude's. All the girls at Constance were crazily happy about the merge because it was the first time in years that there was going to be a senior king and queen campaign. Also my friendship with Sam was making a good progress as the months went by. We always stayed in touch throughout the day.

"_Hey Mercy! How's your day so far?"_ I was on my way to Starbucks with Sugar when I got the text from Sam.

"_It's good. Another wonderful Saturday in NYC. Right now, I am on my way to Starbucks with Sugar! Remember her?"_ I texted him back. Two minutes later I got a reply,

"_Sure! She's the girl I met at Central Park when we took Stevie and Stacy to Central Park Zoo. Squeaking Girl!"_ I could not help but laugh at the memory of that encounter. Sugar was so excited to meet Sam that the day it happened she just started to squeak causing all of us to laugh for hours.

"_The one and only!" _

"_So what are you girls doing today?" _He asked.

"_We have some long overdue girl talk and also we are going to start looking for some ideas for prom." _I replied.

"_Prom… Quinn and Tina are driving me nuts with that! I think I am going to skip prom this year. I'm not showing up alone."_

Sugar and I made it to Starbucks and got in line to order our drinks. Sugar was engrossed in a phone call with Nate so, I knew she was not mad that I was paying a lot of attention to Sam's texts.

"_Sam, don't be boring… I am going to my prom alone. I always dreamed to have you as my date but I know it's not going to work with you in Lima. Also, we can't bring dates from other schools, since our school is merging our prom with an all-boys school from the city and I only know a guy from that school and that's because he is dating Sugar."_ I knew my reply was going to stop him from questioning me about the 'date' topic.

"_Oooohh! Well, we'll see if I change my mind. Anyways, I'll let you go. Call me later?"_

"_Sure! TTYL."_ I placed my cellphone in my bag and proceeded to order and pay for my drink. I scanned around for a table and sat at one in the back of the place while waiting for Sugar to order her drink and for mine to be ready. As soon as we were both comfortable with our drinks, our conversation began,

"Aren't you excited Mercedes? Prom is going to be so epic this year! I can't wait for Nate to ask me to prom. I'm so glad I don't have to run to ask him to be my date this year! And I need to make sure we can make it into the king and queen campaign running." Sugar excitedly said while she took a sip of her caramel macchiato.

"Sugar, you guys are dating this time around, it's a given he's going to ask you. Also, his school is the one invited to our prom and about the running, I am glad to inform you that you already have my vote. You are going to be great as our queen." I said beaming at my dear friend.

"I know right! However, the thought of having Nate as my king makes me nervous." Sugar said as she got some prom related magazines from her bag.

"Why?" I asked quizzically. "You guys look good together."

"Mercy, Nate is every Upper East Side girl's dream boy. I'm pretty sure all eyes are going to be on us that night. We need to look flawless." She said going through the pages of Teen Vogue magazine.

"I am glad I'm going on my own to prom. I don't have the energy to deal with all this image crap." I said relieved. The only thing I had in mind was to find a good designer for my dress since I already knew what kind of dress I wanted.

"You are flying solo to prom? Oh no! That is not happening, girl! Not on my watch, I am going to find you a suitable date and I don't wanna hear any complaints or anything for that matter." Sugar said handling me one of the magazines to help her look for her perfect dress.

As the day for prom got closer, my nerves started to take over. Sugar and Nate were very secretive about the date they found me for prom and I was looking for an excuse to bail. I was not ready to deal with a disaster. The Wednesday before prom I stopped Sugar in one of the hallways at school and asked her one more time about this mysterious date,

"Sugar, I need to know. You can't expect me to be calm when I don't know who's going to show up at my door this Saturday, if someone actually shows up." I said fearful. I knew Sugar and Nate will never pull a prank on me but I did not know the person they chose and his actual intentions.

"First, someone is going to show up and there's a change in the plans. You are getting ready at my house. Mom booked us a hairdresser and make-up artist and trust me this mystery person is not going to ditch you. We told him that we would cut off his balls and feed them to him if he tries to pull some weird stunt. So, don't worry." She said with her signature smile.

"That doesn't help my nerves, but I guess I have to trust you." I said defeated. For the first time in years, Sugar was impossible to crack and I knew Nate well enough to know that he was going to keep his mouth shut too.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Prom is going to be a night you will never forget." She said squeaking as she grabbed my hand and dragged me to class.

Saturday came on and I woke up to the constant buzzing of my phone. I had messages from Quinn, Tina, Sam and Sugar, who texted me to wake-up every two minutes. I decided to answer Sugar first because I knew she was not going to stop and she was going to drive me crazy. Afterwards, I place the phone on the nightstand by my bed and opened the curtains to let the sunlight grace my room. I sat on my bed and started to read the other text messages I had on my inbox.

"_Mercy, tonight is the night. I can't wait to see the pictures. Tons of luck with the mystery date." _My dear Quinn texted me.

"_Quinny, I can't deny it… I am excited and terrified. I hope this turns out to be a great night for me and I will text you some pictures throughout the course of the day." _

Then, it was time to answer Tina,

"_Mercy-me, PROM NIGHT! Have fun and keep me posted. Can't wait to see the pictures. Mike says: Hi! Love you!" _

"_Thanks. I'll keep you posted." _I texted her back. Now it was time to face Sam's text and I was scared. He knew about my mystery date because I could not hide that from him, what I did not expected was for him to take the issue so lightly.

"_Hey Mocha Goddess, have tons of fun tonight and please remind your 'mystery' date to keep his hands to himself or I will get there in a flash and will cut them off. I love you."_

I had to laugh, during this time Sam became the perfect friend. A great listener, a great adviser and every time I had stress issues or I felt sad, he always found a way to make me smile again.

"_Thanks for the wishes and I will tell that person to be frightened of you. I'll keep you posted, Cap. I love you too."_

I got out of my room, ate breakfast and had a pleasant morning with my parents. Later in the day, I started to get ready to head to Sugar's house. She lived a couple of blocks away from me so getting there was no issue and my dress and accessories were already at her place, thanks to my father, who dropped them the night before. When I got there, Sugar was already enjoying a pedicure,

"Mercedes, you are 15 minutes late!" Sugar yelled.

"Sugar, it's only 15 minutes. Besides, your hair and make-up are done." I said. She looked very pretty. Her make-up was very natural and her hair was wrapped in a messy up-do.

"I know I am almost ready but you're not and we need to be ready by 7 and it is 5:15." She pointed out.

"Ok, ok! Where should I-" As soon as I got a better look at the surroundings I got a big a surprise. "Kurt, is that you?" My lovely friend from Ohio was here and he was going to help me get ready for prom. I was extremely happy.

"Mercedes! Oh my god! How are you?" He said as we hugged each other.

"I'm good. How are you? I thought you were in California, what happened?" After he graduated Kurt left for California to try his luck as a performer, things did not work out for him, so he moved to New York.

"Things, didn't work out. I moved here last month and I enrolled in NYADA and I start next August but for now, I am doing some freelance jobs as a make-up artist. Also, I'm living with Rachel for now. But, what's new with you?" Seeing Kurt was a great delight.

"Things are great. I'm finally graduating and heading to NYU. Things with Sam are way better and I can finally say my life is normal again."

"That's amazing. Now take a seat, we are running against time and I need to have you ready by 7." He said happily.

Kurt was fantastic as a stylist. He knew exactly what to do to make anybody look and feel like a million bucks. We caught up with everything that was going on in our lives in the process and by 6:45, I was ready. I felt like a princess. I had on a beautiful purple chiffon, one shoulder dress that fell all the way down to the floor even in my 6-inch heels. It was simple but classic. My hair feel down in loose curls and my make-up was perfect. Kurt collected all his things and by 7 o'clock, he left, not before we exchanged numbers and he wished me tons of good things for the night, at that exact moment a rush of panic running through my veins. I was only minutes away to face my mystery date.

"They're here! Are you ready, Mercy?" Sugar said elatedly twirling around in her beautiful floral gown.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I whispered. My heart started to pound faster and I felt my legs going numb for a moment. When I heard the knock on the front door I froze, Sugar grabbed my hand and dragged me to the door. When her maid opened the door, Nate walked in holding a beautiful corsage for Sugar. A few seconds passed and no one else walked in, I turned my panicked gaze to Nate and he chuckled and said, "Dude, you can come in now."

I shifted my gaze slowly to the door and I could not believe what my eyes saw. He was a vision in a tuxedo.

"Hello Mercedes!" He said in a particular sultry tone.

"Hello." I was hypnotized by everything he possessed. I was in trouble deep.

"Are you alright? You seem kind of lost for words." He said as he grabbed my hand to put the most beautiful corsage I have ever seen.

Sugar and Nate were looking at the scene with the biggest grins on their faces. Nate was the first to pull me out of my shock.

"Do you think we did a good job with the date we got you?"

"Mercy, I think you owe us big time. Don't you think?" Sugar said.

"Oh, yes… I couldn't ask for anyone better." I only managed to say.

**Sam's POV**

Leaving Mercy back in New York was one of the hardest things I have ever gone through. I think it was harder than when we broke up because things were looking up for us, but we lived in different states. I spent some of the most wonderful days with her and even though we were on friendship zone, it was better that not having her in my life at all. I just needed to come up with a game plan to win her back and to prove her that no matter the distance we were meant for each other.

Going back to school was not dreadful this time around and all my friends noticed it. I was my normal self and I owe that to Mercedes. She was a great guide in my life; she knew exactly what to say to keep me from doing stupid stuff,

"Sam! Hey bud, how was New York?" Mike said as we walked to first period.

"It was incredible. I have to say I was very scared when we were on our way there but as soon as I saw Mercedes, all those feelings melted away." I said with the biggest and brightest smile.

"So, things with her are back to where they used to be?" He asked inquiringly. I knew he was asking to get more info for the boys because I knew Tina knew everything that was going on and was not sharing the details.

"Well, we are not a couple but we are going to see where time leads us. She's there, I'm here and like she said, it's not fair for us to be tied in a relationship if we can't spend all the time we want together." I said comforting myself.

"Bro, that sounds promising but I know that for you it sucks."

"Tell me about it. I wanted to stay there and rekindle everything and after the kiss we shared when we first saw each other, I was more than sure, it was going to happen but Mercedes had other things in mind." I said slightly annoyed. "Anyways dude, I'll see you later."

After some serious scrutiny, I decided to ask Mr. Shue about rejoining the glee club and after a sincere apology to him and the rest of the club; I was back in the club. Mercedes was right when she said that they were not going to hold a grudge against me. My life was going back to normal. My relationship with Mercedes was blossoming and I knew she was finally letting her guard down.

As the end of the senior year approached, so did senior prom. The girls, specifically Quinn and Tina, were driving me nuts with the topic. Between the dresses, the hair-dos and the running campaigns for prom king and queen, it was impossible to hold a conversation with any of them. I was glad Mercedes was not completely drowned by prom, she will talk about it every once in a while or if she was hanging out with Sugar, who was totally invested in prom as well. In one of the many conversations I had with Mercedes, she told me she was going on her own to prom because even though her school was mixing the festivity with an all-boy school from the city, she only knew Sugar's date and she did not feel like going with someone that could ruin her night. I wanted so bad to tell her I will go to New York to be her date but then she told me that her school would not allow any student to bring a date if it was not from the schools that were hosting the prom, total bomber.

One Saturday, after texting Mercy in the morning, I got an interesting call.

"Hello Mercedes! I thought you were hanging with Sugar. What's up?" I said bluntly.

"Hey Sam, it's Sugar, the girl you met at Central Park!"

"Oh! Hi, Sugar! How are you? Why are you calling me from Mercy's phone?" I asked unsure of where this conversation was heading.

"Mercy's at the restroom. Look, I have a proposition to make you and I need you to call me sometime around 7pm, today. Do you have somewhere to write down my number?" She said secretively.

After she gave me her phone number, she hung up. My head started to spin, _What kind of proposition did she want to make? Why was she so secretive? Does it involve Mercedes? _I barely knew Sugar and she seemed like a nice girl but according to Mercedes, she was somewhat crazy sometimes. I spent my day helping my dad around the house; cutting the grass, taking out the trash and helping Stevie and Stacy sorting the toys they were going to donate to charity. I called Sugar around 7:30 that night, I was curious about the proposition thing she told me earlier.

"Hello! Hello!" She said happily.

"Um… Sugar, it's Sam!" I was regretting calling her for a moment.

"Sam. How are you? I thought I told you to call me at 7." She said a bit exasperated.

"Yeah, I know. I have to say I was doubtful about calling you, and I am fine, thanks for asking." I said honestly. I was in my room watching Avatar again not expecting anything from this conversation.

"Look, I know we are not friends or anything but Mercedes is one of my closest friends and this involves her. Thanks to you I am going to be late for my date but I need to make sure before I go through with my plan that you are willing to be part of it."

"Plan? What are you talking about?" I stopped the movie because I was surprised with this conversation.

"Sam, I don't know what Mercedes had told you about out prom night and I don't feel like going into all the details right now but today while we were at Starbucks talking about it she said something that got me a bit mad." She took a deep breath and continued, "She said that she was going on her own to prom and that is unacceptable, Sam." She said horrified.

"Oh, yeah! I know. She told me before you called me. I don't see anything wrong with that. Actually, I'm not planning to go to mine." I said casually.

"What! Oh, no, no, no! This is outrageous. I can't let that happen!" She yelled.

"Look, I don't think this conversation is heading anywhere. I'm going to hang up." I said irritated.

"No! Wait! Sam, I know for guys, senior prom is not that important but for every girl it is. I know Mercedes is trying to put up a show that is not very important to her but I know deep down it is. What I want to ask you is, if you want to be Mercedes' date for prom?" Her tone shifted to a more heartfelt one.

"Sugar, one of the things she told me was that nobody could bring a date if it was not from any of the schools that were participating on the prom. I don't think I can be Mercedes' date even if I wanted to." I said troubled.

"Sam, if I my family can pull some sort of strings to help you be Mercy's date, will you do it?"

"In a heartbeat."

"Then… Please, save the date. I am going to try my best to figure something out." She said giggling. "One more thing, this conversation needs to stay a secret. If I can pull this off I want it to be a surprise for her, OK?"

"My lips are sealed." I said.

"They better stay sealed." She said menacing. "I gotta go but I'll keep you posted. Bye, Bye!"

After she hung up, I sat on my bed replaying the entire conversation I peeked over my shoulder at the picture of us that I had on my nightstand and smiled. There was a possibility for me to be at Mercy's prom as her date. Life was definitely being nicer to me this time around. I spent my Saturday night watching movies and thinking about every possible way to keep myself from telling Mercedes about my conversation with Sugar.

The following Monday during a break from glee club practice, I told Mike about my conversation with Sugar. I had to tell someone, Sugar only prohibited me to tell Mercedes about it, and I knew that Mike was going to keep my secret. Even though he was happy that there was that possibility for me, he told me to keep my hopes grounded just in case things did not work out. What would I do without Mike and his fantastic reality checks? I would be lost.

A couple of weeks passed and Sugar never called or texted and I lost any optimism. The Saturday before Mercedes' prom Sugar called me a 3:30am,

"Hey Sam… I am so sorry about calling you at this time but this couldn't wait until the morning. You're in. My daddy had to donate a huge chunk of money to the school to pull this off, but it's done." She said keenly.

"Who is this?" I said drowsy.

"It's me, Sugar!" She yelled on the other line.

"What do you want? It's 3:30 in the morning!" I said, straightening up in my bed, trying to wake up.

"I know what time it is. Didn't you hear what I just said?" Sugar said.

"No."

"I said that… You. Are. In. Daddy gave the school some money and they agreed to let you be part of our prom as Mercy's date." She repeated.

"Really? That's great. So, Sugar?"

"What?"

"Can I go back to sleep now?" I asked politely.

The line went blank for a couple of seconds, then she said, "Oh, yeah! Sure! Please call me tomorrow. I need to give you some instructions about how things are going to work. Ok?"

"Sure! Goodnight now!" I said and hung up. I was extremely happy about the news but as soon as the rush of the happiness went down, so did I.

On Sunday afternoon, I called Sugar to get all the orders she wanted to give me. This time she put me on a three-way call with Nate, her almost boyfriend and with who I was going to stay for the brief period I was going to be in New York. During the week, I played cool with Mercedes, telling her not to worry about her unknown date but to tell him to keep his hands to himself during the night. I wanted to tell her so bad but my desire of seeing her reaction was bigger. I told Mike that everything worked out and that I was going to New York for the weekend. He was happy for me and told me to enjoy my time with Mercedes but also to take care because we had Nationals coming up and we needed to be up in our game.

My dad dropped me up at the airport Friday afternoon and by 9pm; I was meeting up Sugar and Nate at the baggage claim at JFK. My excitement was over the roof because in less than 24 hours I was going to give Mercedes the surprise of a lifetime. Nate was a really nice guy and very accommodating with me and we had a lot of things in common. On Saturday morning, I texted Mercedes to keep up the appearances, I went to get the tuxedo Nate's dad got for me and to get the final touches it needed, then we went to pick-up the corsages for the girls. After taking care of that, we went out for lunch. We talked about what we wanted to do in the future, the colleges we were attending and our girls. Talking to Nate, I noticed all the lovesick expressions my parents tell me I make every time I say something about Mercedes. The expressions were so pathetic, it was ridiculous and I felt my face getting warm and red in embarrassment thinking about all the times I look like him. Prom was scheduled to start at 8pm, so Sugar asked us to meet them at their place at 7pm. Since we had some time in our hands, when we got to his house I called my parents to let them know that everything was almost ready and later I texted Mike with the latest details, since he was hanging with Tina he had to keep the texts short and monosyllabic to keep Tina off the radar.

Nate and I were ready by 6:15, we did a last check up and by 6:30, we were on our way to Sugar's place. My nerves hit rock bottom, I was shaking like a leaf on an extremely windy day.

"Dude, are you ok?" Nate asked worriedly.

"I'm just really nervous" I managed to reply, but I was sure that Nate could hear the loud pounding of my heart.

"Yeah, I can tell! Everything is going to be fine, Sam" He said.

It took us 30 minutes to get to Sugar's place. We went upstairs, corsages in hand and Nate knocked on the door. At that same moment, I felt my heart stop beating.

Nate turned around to check on me, saw my flustered pose and said, "Dude, snap out of it. You look pale and I don't think Mercedes is going to be impressed with the surprise if she sees you like this."

When Sugar's housekeeper opened the door, I waited for Nate to walk in and greeted the girls. Seconds passed and I felt my shoes stuck on the on the floor. As soon as Nate told me, to walk in I took a deep breath and walked in, I was breathless when I saw her. She looked beautiful. She carried a simple but elegant guise but it was perfect in my eyes. I snapped out of my trance and said,

"Hello Mercedes!" My tone was sultrier than normal.

She was in shocked, I knew her heart was beating fast when she only said hello. After a few seconds I grabbed her hand to put the corsage in it and said,

"Are you alright? You seem kind of lost for words." She just glanced at me breathlessly.

After Sugar and Nate padded each other on their backs for finding Mercy her perfect date, she finally realized I was standing next to her eager to take her to prom. When we got inside the limo, she finally asked the question,

"Sugar, Nate… How in the world did you guys manage this?"

Sugar was the first one to speak, "Well Mercedes, do you remember when you told me you were thinking about going alone and I told you that it was not going to happen and that I was going to find you an appropriate date? Well, I knew the only option for that was Sam and it took me nothing to convince him, so, my daddy and Nate helped me out to make this a reality."

Mercedes was looking at her foolishly stunned. "Your dad and Nate helped you?"

"Yes, my Nate here agreed to let Sam stay with him for the days he's going to be in town, while daddy took care of the school. You know daddy loves you like a daughter, therefore, he agreed to help right away." Sugar said without a hint of irony or expecting anything in return.

"Sugar, I don't know what to say!" Mercedes said interlocking her hands with mine.

"You just have to say thank you and we're even." Sugar yelped happily.

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU." Mercedes said enthusiastically.

When we arrived at the hotel and got out of the limo, Mercedes hugged Sugar and whispered something that made the skinny brunette laugh. Then she came up to me, intertwining her fingers with mine and said, "Are you ready?"

"Thanks to you I am ready to for anything." She kissed me on the cheek and we walked in.

Mercedes' prom was as lavish as I thought; to be honest what we see on TV does not do hold a candle to the reality. Schools in Manhattan know how to splurge on this kind of stuff. However, the most important thing for me was to enjoy the night with Mercedes and seeing her smile all night. That warmed my heart deeply and I know things with us were finally OK. We enjoyed every song, we went from normal dancing to dorky dancing, and we did not care who saw us, tonight was all about Mercedes and me. After prom was over, to our surprise, Nate told us that he rented a limo for us so we can have some alone time before I headed back to Lima. I was extremely grateful with his attentions towards me and I knew that this was the start of a great friendship. I took Mercedes for a romantic walk in Central Park, we talked for what seemed like hours, and after she showed signs of sleepiness, I decided to call it a night.

When we made it to her building and got out of the car she said, "Sam… thanks for making my night special." She said caressing my face.

"Anything for you, my lady." I said closing the space between us.

Right in that moment, underneath the stars, I pulled her face close to mine and kissed her. What started as a chaste kiss turn into a series of deep kisses. I did not care about who saw us, right now it was my moment to take charge and show her how much I love her. When we both ran out of air and pulled out from the kisses, I said, "Mercy, I'm leaving in a few hours and I don't expect you to be at the airport saying goodbye, so, I am going to ask you now…" She gazed at me confused. "Mercy, what I mean is… I know it might not be possible but; would you like to be my date for prom next weekend?" I asked.

"I'd love to. Let me just figure out everything tomorrow but, yes, I will be there as your date." I was the happiest teen alive. I released her for a moment and did a victory dance that ended with a fist pump in the air. She laughed uncontrollably and said, "Sam Evans, you are crazy."

"Crazy about you!" I closed the distance between us again and kissed her tenderly. I was addicted to her. She was everything I wanted and needed.

She stopped kissing me and said, "Sam…"

"Am I making you uncomfortable?" I replied.

"No. it's just that… Sam… I want us to be a couple again." She said looking affectionately into my eyes, making my legs go weak.

"You do?" I replied with a devilish smile.

She hit me lightly on the shoulder, "Hey, I am trying to be all serious here and you are joking around. Be serious Sam…"

"Mercedes, all I ever wanted since Christmas was to be with you exclusively. You were the one that put the boundaries between us, not that there was anything wrong with it, but I've been dying to ask you to be my girlfriend again and you took the opportunity from my hands." I closed the gap between our heads leaning my forehead on top of hers. "But, my answer to your question is yes, I want us to be a together again."

There, in the middle of Manhattan I gave Mercy the key to my heart, once again. We kissed as the breeze from the early morning heartened our skins and the stars looked down at us. It was a picture perfect moment. It was our moment.

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**A/N: **What you guys think of this chapter, Yes or No? What do you guys think of Sugar and Nate being such a great friends? What about Sam and Mercedes? All the fluff in this chapter had me walking on Cloud 9, because I thought of both "Prom Queen" and "Prom-a-saurus".

Once again... Rose, thanks for being such an amazing beta! Love you girl!

Until Next Time Lovelies...

PS. I'm already working on Chapter 11 but I am not sure of when I am going to be able to post it... I will keep you all posted on the "Samcedes" tag on Tumblr.


	11. The Perfect Moment

Hola everybody... Here's the new update. I have to admit it took me forever to come up with this because I got stuck in the middle of it and I started the whole thing all over again. I am not 100% pleased with what I got but I hope you guys like it.

As always please forgive any mistake you might see, my Beta and I are only mortals and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, if any is use in the chapter; the rights go to the rightful owners.

On to the chapter... Don't forget to review!

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Chapter 11

**Sam's POV**

Leaving New York this time around was definitely more difficult than last Christmas. This time I was leaving behind my girlfriend, the girl I have been waiting for months to be with me, again. I cannot deny I had a blast and getting back with her was even better but I wanted to stay and enjoy the first days back with her. The trip to Lima felt short because I slept most of the way back there.

"How was New York, Sam? You forgot all about us when you got there." My dad asked as soon as I got to the car for the drive back to Lima.

"It was great; I had an awesome time at Mercy's prom. Actually I have some good news." I said looking outside the window of my dad's car.

"Yeah? Spit it out."

"I'm going to wait until we get home. I want to see everyone's reaction." I said trying to hold my smile. I could not wait to tell them about my reunion with Mercedes during the weekend.

As soon as I got home I pretty much ran inside my house, I was only gone for a couple of days but I miss them all dearly, the same way I was already missing Mercedes. After all the greetings, I pulled out my phone and texted Mercy letting her know, that I made it back to Lima safe and sound. I showed them the pictures I managed to take over my days in New York and I could not help but smile at the memories that kept popping in my head seeing the pictures.

"So Sam, on the drive back home you said you had some news for us, what are they?" My dad said as we took our seats to eat dinner.

"Umm… Yeah… Well… During the time I spent in New York, well…" I did not know why I was so nervous. I knew my family was going to be delighted, I think it just what happened never really sink in my mind.

"Well… are you going to tell us or not?" Stevie said looking annoyed.

"I think, I know." Stacy said happily. "Just by looking at him, I already know it involves Mercedes." She said mockingly.

"Stacy shut up. Sometimes you can be quite annoying for a 12 year-old kid." I said irritated. She stuck out her tongue. "Anyways, yes it involves Mercedes." I continued.

"See… I knew it. Also, I have Facebook, I have her as a friend and I saw the change on her relationship status. I'm curious why I haven't seen yours." Stacy added.

"Are you kidding me, Stace? Can you let me finish?" I was appalled; my almost teenage sister was ruining my moment.

"Stacy, honey, that's enough; let Sam finish what he has to say." My mother intervened. Stacy just rolled her eyes.

"What I've been trying to say is that I got back with Mercedes last night and she's going to try to be my date for prom. She's supposed to call me sometime today to let me know if she's going to be able to do it." I finally said after so many interruptions.

"Sam, I'm so happy for you." My mom said.

"Crap… Now, I seriously don't have a chance with her." Stevie said.

After Stevie's comment, I was astonished. "What did you just say?" I ask teasingly.

"Nothing." Stevie was as red as a tomato. He just kept looking at his now empty plate, which seem more interesting than our family conversation.

"I think my little brother has a crush on my girlfriend." I said smiling at him. I did not feel any annoyance at his comment, he was already a teenager and things like this where expected to happen and I could not help that I had a magnificent taste on girls.

"I don't have a crush on Mercedes, Sam. I do think she is really pretty and awesome." He said staring intensely at me.

"Stevie, you are definitely not helping your case here. Just keep your mouth shut." Stacy said. Our parents were laughing at the situation that was developing at our table. At that time, the house phone rang and my dad got up and left the room to pick it up. A few seconds later, he resurfaced in the room,

"Sam, the phone call is for you." He said as he took his seat back in the dining room.

I excused myself from the room, while my siblings were in the middle of an argument and I headed into the living room to get the phone call. To my surprise, since I was expecting her to call me at my cellphone, it was Mercedes calling to let me know that she was going to be able to attend my prom as my date and she was going to be staying at Quinn's for the weekend. I told her about what just happened at dinner and she laughed excitedly. She could not believe Stevie's remark about her and Stacy's newfound teenage attitude. I had to admit that something she told me was entirely true. My siblings were not little kids anymore.

The following week could not dragged itself slower, I do not know if it was all the excitement I felt but every time I looked at the time only minutes had passed and it felt like it has been hours.

"Seriously dude, if I see you looking at your phone or your watch one more time I am going to hide them from you." Mike said while we were walking to the school's parking lot. "The more you look, the slower time will go. It's already Wednesday; you need to relax, Friday is just around the corner."

"Mike, you don't understand how I feel because Tina lives in the same city as you. Mercedes lives almost 600 miles away from me, we got back together last Saturday and yes, I know it's Wednesday but I need Friday to get here faster. I have something planned for Mercedes on Friday night as a welcoming surprise." I said.

"That explains everything." Mike said in a sympathetic manner. "Care to share the details?"

"Promise you won't tell Tina?" I asked just to get some assurance.

"Sam, when have I failed to keep a secret?" Mike said gesturing that I had punched him in the heart questioning about his silence capability.

"Well, since my family is going to be out on Friday night. I plan to take Mercy to my house for a movie under the stars."

"Movie under the stars?"

"Yeah! Joe is helping me out to set up everything. We are going to set up a screen with a projector on the backyard of my house and we are going to watch a movie and just spend some time together because I know that on Saturday during prom everyone is going to try to snatch Mercedes away from me." I said as I opened my car's door to get in and head home.

"Sounds romantic." Mike added.

"Yeah! I'll see you tomorrow!" I said as I got in my car.

"See you later!" Mike said as he got in his pick-up truck.

When Friday finally arrived I was a babbling mess, I could not form a complete sentence if did not include Mercedes is going to be here today. I knew I was driving everyone crazy but I did not care. I was going to be able to have my girlfriend in my arms in a few hours and that was the most important thing for me now. Happily, the day went by fast and before I knew it, I was already on my way to pick Mercedes at the airport.

When I finally saw her walking towards me I could not hold back my emotions, I just ran to her and hugged her as if I have not seen her in years. Being in her arms again was the best feeling in the world, she was everything to me. I grabbed her suitcase, joined our hands and walked to the parking lot. The drive back to Lima was quiet, we talked about our day and what to expect from McKinley's senior prom. She texted her parents and Sugar to let them know she was already on her way to Lima with me and then she texted Tina and Quinn to let them know she was going to be in Lima soon.

"Are you excited to be back? You seem a bit down." I asked.

"I am. I'm just nervous, I haven't seen anybody in months and yes, I stayed in touch with my friends but I just don't know how the rest of the people are going to react when they see me. I just feel like the only thing they will remember is the scene in the hallway when we first broke-up." She said.

I took one hand off the steering wheel to grab hers tightly and said,

"Let's not revisit anything that will bring us unhappiness, Mercy. We outgrew all that and people at the school know we got back together and that is what matters. I don't think anybody is going to look at you weird or anything, actually I think everybody is going to be thrilled."

"You're right. I don't even know why I'm doing this to myself. I have you by my side and that is all that matters." She said returning to her normal, amazing self. As soon as I looked at my surroundings, I realized we were in Lima. I dropped her off at Quinn's house so she could drop her stuff and relax for a bit but I could not wait to show Mercedes the little surprise I had set up for her.

**Mercedes' POV**

It has been almost a week, almost 7 days of happiness. Waking up every day had a different meaning for me because I finally felt complete. I had my family, my friends and Sam; everything was the way it was supposed to be in my life. That was the reason I could not understand why I was so nervous about going back to Lima. Yes, I left the city abruptly and yes, I remember that unfortunate event that happened at McKinley but it has been months and I knew that people were over that. I guess I just did not want any awkwardness on Sam's prom night. My week ran as fast as I could and in a blink of an eye, it was already Friday. My parents dropped me off at the airport, not before telling me that they expected me to behave properly but to have all the fun I deserved. The flight back to Lima was pleasant since I slept during most of the journey. As soon as I got off the plane my heart started to beat so fast I thought I was going to blackout, but as soon as I saw Sam, standing there looking so amazingly handsome I just felt like I was a part of all of those chick flicks that I had been watching since my early teen years. When he finally got a glimpse of me and ran towards me that was when it really hit me, everything I went through last weekend was not some dream, it was my beautiful reality.

"Hey gorgeous!" He said hugging me.

"Hello to you too! I've missed you." I said tucking my face in his neck.

"I've missed you too. You have no idea how much!" He said leaning down to kiss the top of my head. "So let's get this party started, we need to make the most your trip." He said with his signature-crooked smile.

"Well… let's go!" I said. He grabbed my suitcase. With his free hand, he interlocked my fingers with mine, and we walked to his car.

The drive to Lima was nice and quiet. We barely spoke to each other but when we did, it was lovely. I guessed we were trying to indulge on each other presence more than anything. I texted my parents and Sugar to let them know I was still alive and again my mom reminded me to behave while Sugar told me to enjoy my time in Lima and to have a crazy amount of make-out sessions with Sam. I laughed at her message. She was highly induced by her overly sugarcoated relationship with Nate.

"Well, here you are Mercy. I will come to pick you up at around 8pm. I can't wait for you to see what I have planned for tonight." Sam said with the biggest smile.

I clutched his face in my hands and said, "I'll be ready. I can't wait to spend some alone time with you."

We got off his car; he grabbed my suitcase from the trunk and walked me to the front door. As soon as Quinn opened the door, she jumped and embraced me so tightly I thought she was going to break all my ribs. I was strangely confused about how someone so skinny and petite could hug me so strongly. Sam just looked so happy that I was able to be around my friend again.

"Well girls, I'll leave the two of you for some alone time. Mercy, I'll see you at 8." He kissed me in the forehead and headed back to his car. Quinn shut the door and guided me to her room,

"Mercedes, I am so happy you're here. It's like a dream come true. Prom is going to be grand and special; I have no words to express my actual feelings." She said as she placed my suitcase inside her walk-in closet as I sat on her bed getting rid of my shoes.

"Oh Quinny… I am so happy to be here and to be able to spend some time with all of you. I'm just sad I won't be able to stay longer." I said sadly.

"Don't be sad Mercedes. It's not like this is going to be the last time that you're going to see all of us. Remember some of us are going to New York for college and Kurt and Rachel are already there and more importantly Sam is going to be there too." She said as she pulled out the picture album she had been putting together about her high school years. "I have been working on this album since Christmas break, I want you to see it and tell me what you think. I am missing a few things like prom and Nationals but it is because they haven't happen yet."

The album was so beautiful it brought tears to my eyes, just knowing about the time she has invested on it, just to keep the memories alive, reminded me of the album Sam gave me last Christmas. They have both put so much thought and love to it; it made me feel like I have no creativity whatsoever. She had pictures since they were freshmen, they all looked so young and different but I was so happy to see that they were all great friends since the very beginning. Then there were the pictures of her sophomore and junior years, in which I made an appearance. Then it was senior year, I love the fact that I got a chance to see what missed after I left McKinley. Looking at these pictures made me regret the decision of moving back to New York for a little bit. But something I learned about all this is that I need to stop living in the past and not concentrating my thoughts on the 'what ifs'.

"Quinn this is very beautiful. All the memories, the laughs… I mean… wow…" I started crying.

"Mercy please… don't cry. You are going to make me cry, too." She said as she threw her arm around my shoulder and gave me a side hug. "Enough of sentimentalisms… let me see what you are wearing tonight for your date and tomorrow for prom."

We spent what was left of the afternoon talking about prom, boys, college and glee club. I was so proud of her and the rest of the people at glee club. They were heading to Nationals and they had a pretty good chance of leaving their mark on McKinley's history. Quinn left a little bit after 7pm because she had a date with Joe and left me with some time to get ready and to think about how lucky I was to have some people like her in my life. While reminiscing about all my blessings, my phone chipped. It was a text from Sam.

"_I'll be there in 5 to 10 mins. I love you." _

I went downstairs to wait for him. I could not wait to spend some time with him after being so far away since we got back together. After picking me up, Sam took me to his house and I was so glad I finally got a chance to see his family before they left for their Evans' Friday Night Movie and Dinner Adventure. After the goodbyes, Sam took me to the backyard and I was amazed with what I was seeing. In between two of the tallest trees of his backyard, stood a decent sized projection screen. On a table not that far from the screen was his laptop attached to a projector and two small speakers, in front of the table was what it looked like a futon mattress with some pillows and blankets and on each side were some empty bowls that I knew will hold our popcorn. Hanging around all of that area were some lights, I could not decipher if they were Christmas lights or not but I did not care because they gave the spot the most romantic look ever. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen.

As we got closer to the spot, I could not hold my tears. Sam noticed it and said,

"Baby, are you ok?"

I felt so overwhelmed by happiness that I just looked straight into his green gorgeous eyes, pulled him closer to me and kissed him passionately. After pulling away from the kiss, I said,

"I am more than ok, I am overjoyed. This is so perfect and so special… oh my god… you always find a way to make me fall deeper for you. I love you so much, Sam Evans." I hugged him closely as tears of joy streamed down my cheeks again.

"I love you too, Mercedes Jones. Are you ready for the movie marathon?" I shook my head as I settled in the mattress. "Let me get the popcorn and I'll be back to settle everything so we can enjoy the night."

He came back less than 5 minutes later; he poured the popcorn in the bowls and proceeded to set the first movie. As soon as he had everything under control, he sat next to me and said, "I hope you like the movie selection of the night. I asked my mom to help me choose because I wanted to see some of the most romantic movies of all time."

As soon as he said that, the main menu for 'The Notebook' appeared on the screen. We watched the movie in complete silence but we held hands the entire run. At the end of it I was in tears, that movie would always touch every fiber of my being. After the credits started to roll, he wiped the tears from my face, kissed my cheek and said,

"Are you ready for the next one?" I just nodded.

He got up and worked his magic on his laptop and as soon as he sat next to me 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' started. We did not finish the movie because sometime in the middle of it he got interested in kissing my neck and making me feel all kinds of hot all of the sudden. As soon as I realized, we were into a full make-out session that was getting into a completely new level of hotness. Shirts went flying and touching and discovering our bodies took over our minds. I did not know if it was the romantic setting or the mood the movies created but all of the sudden my body was aching for Sam's in a way I never felt before. Since I knew we were on one of the farthest corners of the backyard, I knew we were not going to be interrupted any time soon. I let my feelings and my body, speak for me and there underneath the stars, I professed my love to him, we made love for the first time and it felt so right, so perfect. It was simply magical.

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**A/N: **Yes or No... What do you guys think of the surprise and about what happened between them? I have to admit, love scenes and smut are not my cup of tea and won't even try to explore writing any of that. I know for I fact, I will be horrible, so I am going to leave all that to the imagination and to all the other amazing writers out there! :)

Rose, my lovely Beta... Thank you so much!

Until next time, Vic!

PS. I think this story is coming to an end soon i think it might have 4 to 5 chapters left, so stick around! :/ Bittersweet...


	12. A New Chapter In Our Lives

Hello to the new update... Hello to all of you the readers... I got quite inspired in these past days and got this one done pretty fast, also I had some time in my hands. I know some of you wanted to read what happened at Sam's prom but I decided not to write about it because I need to fasten the pace a bit. I hope I don't disappoint anybody by doing this.

As always please forgive any mistake you might see, my Beta and I are only mortals and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, if any is use in the chapter; the rights go to the rightful owners.

On to the chapter... Don't forget to review!

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Chapter 12

**Sam's POV **

The weekend Mercedes spent in Lima was definitely one I will never forget for many reasons. However, there is a reason that will always be the main one; I got the opportunity to show Mercedes how much I love her and how much she meant to me. After the rush from prom finally declined, McKinley High School was normal again, people were focusing on the things they had left for the school year and seniors were just cruising the hallways. We won Nationals for the first time in the history of the school and we finally had the opportunity to prove to the school that being a part of glee club was as great as being a part of any other club at the school; glee was a place where people would always find acceptance and where tears can transform into joy. Graduation was one of the most bittersweet days of my life because I was leaving behind a place that was meaningful to me. McKinley was the place that made me into the person I was now. There I met amazing friends, great teachers that not only guide me academically but also help me to grow in every aspect of my life but, most importantly it was the place I met her, my Mercedes. The girl I wanted to spend the rest of my life with and the one that made me happy every day.

"Well, Sam… you are finally a graduate, how do you feel?" My dad asked.

"I feel normal, I guess. Things are going to finally sink in when I move to New York." I said removing my cap and gown while heading to my mom's SUV.

"Sammy, are you excited about moving?" Stacy asked.

"I am, Stace! I can't wait to live in a big city like New York." I said smiling.

"Also, you can't wait to pester Mercedes." She added jokingly.

"That's so true, sis!" Stevie said as they high-fived each other.

"That's not true. I don't bother her."

"Sam, please…" Mom said.

"MOM, THEY STARTED IT!" I was highly annoyed.

"Let's just change the subject. How about we keep on celebrating Sam's big day?" Dad said as we left the school parking lot. I took one last look at the place that would hold all the moments that changed my life. I have to admit I felt a knot in throat and my eyes became watery for a moment.

The only thing I did the weeks after graduation was pack. I was moving to New York in July with the sole and lame excuse that I wanted to get to know my way around the city before school started. Well, I was trying to convince people that it was the main reason but everybody knew it was not the main one. I wanted to move early to spend all the time I could with Mercedes because we had to make up for the time lost from the break-up until we got back together. The day I left Lima was harder than I thought because I was leaving behind my family; the people who meant everything to me, to face life on my own as a college student on a city that was either going to make me or break me as an individual. Of course I had Mercedes to help me adjust and to be my crying shoulder when homesickness struck but the feeling I started to get from knowing that not going to live with the people I have been living for the past 18 years was tough.

The living arrangements that I expected when moving to New York didn't happen. I wanted to live with Mercedes but our parents thought that we were not ready to face that kind of commitment and it was going to hurt us at the end if we went through with it. Reluctantly I had to agree, the only thing good out of it was that I was going to live close to her.

Arriving in New York this time around was a bit intimidating. This time I was on my own facing every decision and every consequence of that decision. Living with Mike and Nate was going to be an experience I was going to deal with day by day. They were my brothers and I cared for both of them but they had very different personalities and interests. Mike was disciplined, focused, and extremely smart and his main interest, after Tina, was dancing. Nate, who was also really smart, slacked in discipline and organizational skills and I am guessing that this was quite notorious because of the life he has been living since he was born. Some of the Upper East Side kids had these traits, but besides that, he was a kindhearted and trustworthy person.

"Hey Sam, it's good to have you back." Nate said as he welcomed me into the nice apartment we were going to share at least for a year, which was strategically located 3 blocks away from Mercy's building.

"Thanks Nate. I'm really happy to be back and this time being able to actually stay." We both laughed. "I have to be honest I'm quite scared with this whole living on my own thing." I said this as I settled my bags on the floor of my new fancily furnished room. "Umm… Nate… Who organized my stuff?" I asked curiously.

"Well, I had my maids organized some of your stuff, what I thought they could do. The rest of your stuff is in the closet." He politely answered.

"Thanks man, but I could do all that myself, you know." I said as I opened the box that held some of the comic books I sent with the moving company.

"Well, it's done. So, you're welcome." He said happily. "Sorry to leave you alone so soon but I'm heading out to meet up with Sugar. Hope you can get comfortable while I'm gone." He said walking to the living room.

"See you later, Nate."

I called Mercedes to let her know that I was at the apartment unpacking what was left in the boxes and to talk to her and unwind a little. Talking to her was always great for me it will always boost my happiness. Twenty minutes into the conversation and I heard a knock on the door,

"Surprise!" There in the hallway, still holding her phone, was the love of my life.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well… I thought you might be hungry from the trip and the unpacking so, I brought you some Chinese. Also, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to help you get settle in your new place." She said as she placed the food on the microwave to be consumed later. "So, can I get a tour?"

"Sure" I said as interlocked fingers with her to guide her around the apartment.

When we got to my room, she just stood there, frozen, looking at every single wall, table and even my bed. I knew she was internally judging everything. Her facial expression was giving her away.

"Tomorrow we are going shopping." She said as she took out her phone from her pocket and snapped pictures of the room.

"Shopping… Why?"

"You need stuff in this room, stuff that characterizes you. I don't know, maybe… umm… some posters, new bedding, just stuff that says Sam all over it." She said putting her phone away.

I grabbed my girl, pulled her close to me and when we were on kissing distance, I said,

"This is why I love you, because you always come up with good ideas."

I kissed her tenderly but she deepened the kiss and some minutes later things got really heated and the unpacking idea that I had planned for the day was far gone from my mind. My time with Mercedes was my main priority, and little did I know that life was going to throw us something that will make me prove her, just that.

**Mercedes' POV**

It felt so amazing to be back in Lima after all the time I spent away, seeing my friends and to spend a couple of days with them, was great. I was over the moon. Spending time with Sam and having the chance to share something so special with him was definitely the best part of the trip. This was a memory that was going to stay in my mind and my heart forever. After that, there was so little time left of my last semester of high school that I felt like crying every day because it was the end of an era. I was finally going to be stepping in to the early stages of adulthood and it was scary.

Luckily, I was going to be walking this new stage of my life in the beautiful city of New York surrounded by some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Quinn and Sugar were both attending NYU with me and Tina was going to attend Columbia University. Fortunately, for Tina and me, our lovely boyfriends were also going to be in New York following their dreams. Sam got accepted in NYU and Mike was schedule to start in Julliard next September. Also, Kurt and Rachel were around, so it was like a New Directions reunion. Life was being more than kind to all of us.

Summertime was great for Sam and me, he moved to New York at the beginning of July with the excuse that he wanted to get to know the city before the semester started, but we both knew he just wanted to spend every moment with me before the start of the semester. We did not end up living together, to Sam's dismay, but we ended up living pretty close by. Sam was going to be living with Nate and Mike, while I was going to be living with Sugar. Everything worked out perfectly for us and we were happy with the arrangements or at least that is what I thought.

"Mercedes, I know I said I was happy with the living arrangements for the year but I have to be honest with you." Sam said while we were shopping for his apartment decoration and stuff at Macy's on 34th St.

I was looking at some cool bedding items when he came up with that comment. I raised an eyebrow and said, "Sam, what are you talking about? We already went through this. We have to accept this. Our parents think we are too young to live together and you need to remember they are the ones paying for pretty much everything and if they are not happy, well… we are not going to be able to afford anything. New York City is a really expensive city for two recent high school grads to live in."

He vaguely lean against the column near me, "I know what they mean, I know what you mean but I wanted us to start our life together in our cozy little apartment. Just like in all those chick flicks you have made me watch since we know each other."

"Oh God, Sam!" I started to giggle. "You are becoming a hopeless romantic." I was laughing so hard, I snorted. "Sam, we are going to have all of that, in time. One thing those movies forget to tell us is how difficult real life is for kids like us, trying to make it in a city like New York. All the movies we have seen show people on their 20's and we are not there yet." I established.

"So, you are telling me that we are going to have to wait until we hit our 20's to live together." His facial expression was amusingly appalled.

"Something like that." I said smiling.

"Argh! This is so frustrating." He said frowning.

"Sam, we are going to be living pretty close and it's not like we are not going to be spending time at each other's places. Stop being such a drama queen. Leave that to Sugar!" I said placing a peck on his lips.

Sam's stubbornness was cute and honestly not annoying. After a long day of shopping, we met my parents for a movie and dinner. It felt like a weird double date but we had a great time, nevertheless.

As the start of the semester approached Quinn, Tina and Mike moved to New York. Quinn was going to live in the same building as me and I could not wait for all the amazing and long overdue sleepovers with her and Tina.

My life with Sugar as roommates was finally taking form. We decided to move in at the beginning of August to get comfortable in the apartment and the nearby areas. We lived a couple of blocks away from the university so; getting a cab was not a total necessity for us. College life was going to be great.

"Mercy, your phone is ringing!" Sugar yelled from the living room.

"I can't answer right now. Can you check who's calling? Please!" I replied. I was in the middle of a Skype date with Santana, with whom I have not had a chance to speak in ages and I was not going to end my conversation abruptly.

"Mercy, it's Sam." Sugar yelled back.

"Please answer the phone and tell him I'll call him back. Tell him I'm busy."

"Ok."

A few minutes passed and Sugar came storming into my room, breathless.

"Sugar, are you alright?" I asked stunned at her appearance.

"Yeah, it's just that Sam said that he'll be here in an hour and I had to tell you before I forget."

Santana, who was still online on Skype side-eyed Sugar and said,

"Ok, Sugar… she got the memo, now, can you leave her room we are in the middle of something."

"Santana, be nice" I said returning my gaze to my computer screen.

"Mercy, this is me being nice." She rolled her eyes.

"That's ok, Mercy. I don't want her to go all ghetto on me." Sugar said sticking out her tongue to the fiery Latina.

"You mean all Lima Heights, Sugar." I corrected.

"Whatever, it's all the same to me." Sugar replied.

"Mira estúpida… Escucha-" Santana started but I intervened.

"Hey! Stop you two. Sugar get out of my room and Santana calm down!"

I was glad Santana was all the way in Kentucky because knowing her; she would be on Sugar's face every damn time. After the little incident with Sugar, my conversation with Santana went surprisingly great. We caught up on everything that was going in our lives and we actually planned for her and Brittany to come to the city during Labor Day weekend, even though I was scared for a meeting between Santana and Sugar. But, I missed Santana's Lima Heights moments and Brit's unicorn ones. They were a one of a kind couple.

Sam showed up at my doorstep a little bit after I finished my Skype conversation with Santana. As soon as I opened the door, he jumped into my personal space and kissed me like there was no tomorrow.

"I've missed you so much." Sam said after pulling away from the kissed. He was out of breath.

"Sam, we saw each other last night." I said looking at him cautiously. I think I knew where he was heading.

"I know… but, every time we are apart I feel like I'm dying. You don't understand what you do to me." He confessed.

"Boy, you are a fool." I said chuckling. He was a lovable dorky.

"I am a fool in love." He added.

"OK, Sam… you can stay the night." I said overpowered by his charm.

"Yes!" He said fist pumping in the air.

"Sam… this is only happening because Sugar has a date with Nate and I'm pretty sure where they are going to end up." I walked toward the fridge to grab a bottle of water.

"Oh! Well, I have to give Mike the heads-up so he can stay at Tina's. I don't think he would like to go through another Sugary-Natey love session." He said pulling his phone out to send Mike the SOS text.

"The Sugary what?" I asked confused.

"That's the name Mike and I gave to the beyond all bearing and publicly illicit make-out sessions of Sugar and Nate. Baby, they are too much. They are worse than us."

I laughed as I pulled out the ingredients for the Spaghetti Alla Bolognese I was cooking for dinner.

"You're cooking?" I just nodded. He came closer, grabbed me by the waist, kissed me in the cheek and said, "This night is getting better and better." He kissed me in the cheek again and added some spice to the cooking session by kissing every single spot that made my legs tremble at his ministrations. We stayed in, enjoy a home cooked dinner, we watched movies and spent one lazy night enjoying each other's presence that lead to one of those amazing sexy moments we loved. Sex with Sam was special, magical and not rushed because it was our moment to show each other how much we loved each other and how much we respected and cared for each other.

Waking up in his arms was always lovely and extraordinary. He had a peaceful look when he slept that made me fall even deeper for him, he looked happy every time. I stroked his face gently, trying to remove some of his blonde hair from his face and trying not to wake him up in the process. Looking at his handsome features every day made me feel like the luckiest girl in the city, scratch that, the luckiest girl in the world. As soon as I stopped caressing his face and turn around to get off the bed, I was stopped by Sam pulling me close to him, "Mornin' my love, you look beautiful this mornin'." He said in his sexy morning southern drawl that melted my heart instantly.

"Sam, you need to stop." I said as he kissed my forehead.

"Why? You don't believe a word I just said?" He said with a pout decorating his face.

"Sam…"

He grasped my face and said, "You are the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and I'm glad that you are mine now, I'm glad you are going to be mine until we grow old and grumpy because even then, you are going to be the most beautiful woman that have ever existed." After those words he kissed me affectionately, one thing led to another, and we did not leave my room until the late hours of the afternoon. I was contented with my life; I could not ask for anything better, sadly I did not have any idea that life had other plans for me.

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**A/N: **Yes or No? What do you guys think of everything that's been going on? What is going to be that malicious play that life will play on these two? Will they make it? Let me know what you think, any suggestions... anything!

To my Beta... I LOVE YOU... Thank you, Rose!

Until Next Time my Lovelies!


	13. There's Always Something In The Way

Hello Lovelies... Here's the update... Here you will find the answer of the question that last chapter left somehow lingering... I hope you guys don't get frustrated and understand that everything happens for a reason...

As always please forgive any mistake you might see, my Beta and I are only mortals and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate) or Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandoms. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, if any is use in the chapter; the rights go to the rightful owners.

On to the chapter... Don't forget to review!

* * *

Chapter 13

**Mercedes' POV**

It has been three years since I started college and almost five since I have been in a relationship with the most amazing guy in the world. Sam has been more than amazing for all this time. I cannot believe we have been together for all this time, every day I felt like I have just begun dating him. Like every couple, we have had ups and downs but after that stupid break-up during senior year we learned to communicate about things that bothered us in hopes to bond and keep a healthy and honest relationship. Other thing that helped us during our difficult patches has been our great support system, composed by our families and friends. They were always more than ready to help us out in dealing with our issues, especially Tina and Mike. I would always be grateful to the newly engaged couple.

Since Sam and I turned 21 this year, our parents finally gave us the green light to move-in together and so we did during the summer. Yes, it might sound odd that we waited for them to be ok with it but we just did not feel like dealing with any more stress. College was driving Sam and me crazy. Whoever said that college life was easy was definitely on drugs. I majored in Music and for the outside world, it might be like an easy ride in comparison to other majors, but no, music was kicking me in the butt. Since the semester started, I have barely seen Sam. He was always at the library studying, keeping up with his classes. Majoring in Pre-Med was not easy for him and his dyslexia was out of control some days. I tried my best to help but science was definitely not my forte.

"Hey baby, sorry I'm late." Sam said walking into the apartment. He looked exhausted and by the look on his face, he was having a bad day.

"That's ok, Sam. There are some leftovers in the fridge. How was your day?" I was sitting in the floor of our living room working on some homework.

"It was ok, I had better days. I got my Anatomy test back today; I got a B- after all the time I dedicated to ace that exam. I am a bit disappointed but, whatever." He said as he sat next to me and kissed me in the cheek. "I missed you today." He said placing an affectionate peck on my lips.

"I missed you, too. I didn't call you on your break in between classes because I knew you were going to be at the library." I said as I caressed his face.

"Yeah! I was there. I feel like I have a relationship with the library instead of having one with you. I feel like such a bad boyfriend. I'm sorry." He said pulling me into a hug.

"Sam… There's no need to apologize. I know how demanding your classes are and you need to focus on that. Yes, it hurts not having you around but think about it… A few years from now, we are going to enjoy the rewards of all this work. I love you and you love me; and for us that's what matters." I said lingering into his hold. I missed being in his arms, smelling his scent; I missed everything about him but I had to keep my disguise because I knew he will drop everything for me and that is something I could not let happen, he has been working so hard for the past few years, it would kill me to see him abandoning his dreams.

"Mercy, I understand what you mean but we barely spend time together. We only have times like this one every once in a while and it sucks because I am usually tired or I have to study. Damn! I am surprised our sex life is still alive." He said as he got his Physics book out of his backpack. Just looking at the thickness of the book made my head spin, Sam definitely held every ounce of my admiration.

As the semester progressed, Sam tried his best to be around more and things between us were not weird anymore. He spent more time at the apartment and even though he kept his focus on his studies, we found time for us as a couple.

For me, stress was becoming a daily companion. From classes, special assignments, and rehearsing for the winter recital, I barely had time to have a life. Now I know exactly how Sam felt all this time. As October approached, I felt drained, I barely ate and my hunger was fading away. I started to feel weak and dizzy all the time. All I wanted to do every day was sleep.

"Hey Mercedes! Wow, I hate to break it down to you this way but, you look-" I stopped Quinn's thought and said,

"Terrible. I know. I've been feeling that way for around three weeks now. All I wanna do is sleep, I feel weak all the time and I am barely eating." We were walking down the street from her building on our way to class. "I don't wanna go to class and because of how I feel, I am grumpy all the time. I'm feeling hormonal."

"And how is Sam coping with this? Because last time I spoke to him, he told me he's been under a lot of stress because of all the school work that the professors keep throwing at him." Quinn said.

"Well, I try my best to keep my cool around him. I know how frustrated he is with school and I don't wanna add any more crap into his life." I said as I took a sip of my bottle of water. "I'm just going to wait for mom to get back from California and ask her to run some physical exams or something."

"When is she coming back?" Quinn asked as we arrived at her building. She decided to go into politics to become a lawyer, just like our friend Nate.

"She's going to be back in a few days. I just need to manage to survive those extra days." I said as I laughed weakly.

"Mercy, you said a few minutes ago that you feel kind of hormonal, right?" Quinn said suspiciously.

"Yes. Your point is?" I asked raising my eyebrow.

"Mercy, have you and Sam had sex recently?" She almost whispered.

"Yes. We try our best to keep our sex life intact and alive. Why?" I knew exactly where Quinn was heading.

"Mercy, that's it. Maybe these symptoms that you're feeling-" I had to stop her. I could not deal with whatever else she was going to say.

"Hell to the NO, Quinn Fabray! I am not preggers; I am losing weight not gaining it. That's absurd." I said angrily, not because I hated the idea but because it was not the right time to get pregnant.

"Look Mercy, it's just a thought. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm sorry. Damn mood swings. Anyways, I have to go to class. See you later." We hugged and went our separate ways for the day.

Later that day I finally called my mom and explained to her what was going on and all the changes I felt. She told me the same thing Quinn told me in the morning and explained to me that in some cases in the early stages of pregnancy some women lose weight instead of gaining it. She told me to stay calm and that as soon as she get back to New York she was going to take me to a gynecologist to clear the air. In addition, she told me to talk to Sam to prepare him just in case the diagnosis was actually a pregnancy. Fear ran through every inch of my body. How I was going to prepare Sam for an inopportune pregnancy? Yes, we both wanted to have kids but our plan was to have them when we were married and we had a financial, physical, and emotional stability and as of that moment, we did not have any of those things. Well, sort of. I decided to sleep off my thoughts and try to gather some strength; this was going to be one hell of a conversation.

When I woke up the next morning, I felt sicker than ever. I was dizzy, feverish, and weak. The moment I tried to stand up to get ready for class; I fell back in the bed, like a brick falling from a rooftop or something like that. As soon as I placed my head on the pillow, again Sam woke up from his sleep.

"Baby, are you ok?" He said worried.

"Sam, I am feeling horrible. I tried to get out of the bed and I felt like I was going to faint. I think I am going to stay home and sleep this off." I said almost whispering because even talking was taking a toll on me.

"Mercy, you have to go to a doctor. This is not normal. You look lifeless." He said distressed.

"Sam, my mother is a doctor." I said trying my best to sound like my normal self.

"Yeah I know, but she's in California."

"She gets here tomorrow and I already explained to her what I have been feeling and she said that it might be…" I could not find the courage to tell him.

"A pregnancy." He said with an unreadable look.

"Umm… Yeah. How did you-"

"Mercedes, I am a pre-med student. I think I can figure some medical things on my own."

"So?" I said. I was panicking. I felt my body lightly trembling.

"Look, we don't know for fact that you are indeed pregnant, so, let's take this one day at a time. Ok?

"Ok."

Sam decided to stay home that day and take care of me. He graduated as the best boyfriend of the century; even though I slept most of the day, the time I managed to stay awake he treated me like a princess. He cooked for me, even though I did not eat a lot; he played some songs with his guitar and treated me like a great doctor in the making. I could not ask for a better person to be by my side that day. He made me forget for a while how crappy I felt.

Sometime during the day, Sam got a hold of my mom and explained to her what happened during the morning and they agreed that instead of going to her office when she came back, he was going to take me to the hospital the next morning for a complete check-up. The next morning I woke up feeling a bit better but still nauseated. When I got up from the bed, since I felt a bit stronger, I realized Sam was already awake and from the smell that was drowning the room I could tell he was cooking something so delicious that made ran to the toilet. Yes, even the smell of good food was making sick. When I straightened up, I walked to the kitchen and saw him leaning on the counter reading one of his books, trying to catch up on his classes.

"Morning love." I said.

He turned around coffee mug in hand and walked to close the space between us. "Hey, how are you feeling today?" He gave me a light kiss on my forehead.

"I'm feeling better. I am actually out of bed, so, that's great news." I said smiling.

"Well, I still think we have to get you to a hospital, Mercedes. I spoke to your mother yesterday and she said it was the best thing we could do until she get back." He said as he placed the empty mug on the sink.

"But…"

"No buts, sweetheart. We are going because we need to find out what is going on." He finalized.

After he finished eating breakfast and I tried my best to keep my coffee in my stomach, we took a cab and arrived at the Lenox Hill Hospital shortly afterwards. The good thing was that my mother was a well-known person around the hospital subsequently; I did not have to wait for long before a doctor saw me. After the generalist cleared me for the tests, several nurses came into my room and started with the painful procedures. I noticed that every time they pinched me with the needles I started to bleed rigorously, something I never experienced before and my body and joints started to hurt dementedly. I passed out from all the pain I felt, the medical team rushed me into stabilization, and they stopped running any tests that would trigger some kind of negative reaction to my body. As I heard voices, including my mother's, in my dazed stated, I realized pregnancy was out of the diagnosis.

**Sam's POV**

It has been three years of hard work, countless all-nighters and constant struggles but I was able to make into my junior year as pre-med student at NYU. I had my breakdowns and my moments of triumphs and I was glad I had the chance to live them all with my girlfriend of almost 5 years, Mercedes. I could not believe all that time has passed. After that time apart during senior year, we never experienced anything like that again, we were able to compromise when needed and we worked every day at keeping our communication open and every time we went through some misunderstanding we had some great people around us that helped us to move forward.

After I begged and begged our parents' for permission to move in with Mercedes, they finally let us move in together and our life as a couple took another step into bliss. Yes, it felt quite stupid to ask when we were already 21 year-old but our parents still paid for our expenses since they wanted us to focus on school. Leaving the place I shared with Nate and Mike after two years was tougher than I thought. We were like brothers but we were all becoming very serious in our relationships. Tina and Mike got engaged the summer prior to the beginning of the semester and Nate was becoming a father sometime during Christmas time. We were all really excited to get know the bundle of joy Sugar and Nate were bringing into this world.

As the semester progressed, I felt like school was sucking the life out of me. I barely had time to do something as easy as eating. Classes were eating me alive and my dyslexia made a harsh comeback and was making everything uneasy for me. I spent my time in the library looking for concentration and I have to say sometimes I succeeded but sometimes I felt like throwing everything away. Mercedes tried her best to help me out but I knew that she was out of her element. However, I loved her for trying.

"_Hey Sam! I haven't seen you in forever, how've been?" _Mike text said. He sent me that text two hours earlier.

"_I've been good. Extremely busy with classes and stuff but at least I am alive."_ I texted him back.

"_I was just wondering when my best man is going to have some free time to go out for a few drinks. I know school is the reason you have been hiding but you need to live a little Sam."_

"_I know Mike and trust me I intend to do that as soon as I'm done with my exams. I have been neglecting Mercedes, as well. Thankfully she understands and she hasn't given me a hard time about it." _I texted him, I knew Mike would understand that I was not only neglecting him but my girl, too.

"_Well… Bro, you need to get your agenda in order. I will speak to you soon. Take care."_

Mike's words hit me pretty hard. It felt like he unintentionally slapped me in the face. I knew I had a responsibility with my classes but I was becoming someone I hated. I was lonely, angry because of the lack of sleep and even though she did not demonstrate any resentment towards me, I knew I was drifting away from Mercedes. In that moment, I decided to spend time at our apartment, just to be with her.

As the weeks passed, I made myself more visible in the lives of the people I cared the most. I spend time with Mercedes and things between us were getting better and hotter. I really missed her and all the things we would do when were together. I still kept my concentration on my studies but I was more content with my life.

Weeks went by and I started to notice that some things were changing with Mercedes. She was always tired, she was barely hungry and always had bad headaches. She would sleep all the time and she was starting to lose weight. The thing that really ticked me off was how hormonal she was. One moment she would be happy and with a simple snap, she would start crying hysterically.

"Mercedes, why are you crying?" I asked as I ran to the room as soon as I heard her.

"It's nothing, Sam. I don't even know. I am so hormonal." She sniffed. "This is killing me." She sobbed.

"Mercy, it's ok. You have been under a lot of stress lately. Between classes and the rehearsals for the winter recital, you barely have time for yourself. Maybe it's just that. You miss having time for yourself." I said as I hugged her and stroked the top of her head trying to comfort her.

"Sam, I miss having time to be with you. All I do is sleep, go to school, rehearse and then come back to sleep. I am barely eating and I am losing weight. I might have to call mom. I know she's in a medical convention in California but I need some answers." She said as she held on to me tighter. I knew she was becoming scared of all the changes in her body but I could not find the strength to tell her that she might be pregnant and her body was just having a rough time adjusting to the changes.

After she fell asleep, I decided to call Mike to vent a little.

"Dude, how are you?" Mike sounded excited.

"I've seen better days. How are you?" I said blandly.

"I'm good, but you sound horrible. What's going on dude?"

I took a deep breath and explained to him everything that has been going on on my side of the city and my thoughts about Mercedes possible pregnancy.

"Dude, do you think she's pregnant?"

"Well, the other thing I have in mind is a severe case of anemia, but she is extremely hormonal and that's what makes me think there's a high possibility she's pregnant. But I could be wrong; I'm still getting a hold of all this medical knowledge." I said in good conscience.

"Sam, are you honestly ready to deal with a pregnant Mercedes?"

"Mike, your question really bothers me. You know I love her and I will be next to her every step of the way." I stated without thinking. "Dude, she is everything to me and if that means I have to cut on my credits for next semester to get a job or something, I would do it. I know it is not the most convenient time for us to become parents but it will be a blessing nevertheless."

After some other exchanges, I ended my conversation with Mike and went to the bedroom to find an awake Mercedes.

"How are you feeling, babe?" I said as I grabbed my towel to go into the bathroom to take a shower.

"Better. I just hung up with mom. She said she'll be back the day after tomorrow and that she is going to help me out with all these craziness. I'm going back to sleep. I love you."

"That's ok. I'm going to take a shower. I will join you soon. I love you." I kissed her in the cheek and walked to the bathroom. When I got out she was asleep, I got underneath the sheets and as soon as I my head touched the pillow, I fell asleep.

The next morning was quite hectic for me. Mercedes woke up feeling worse and I had to stay home and take care of her. She was an excellent patient though; she followed instructions and let me use my soothing methods to make her feel better. She was a pain at feeding time but at least she tried. On one of her late afternoon naps, I decided to call her mother and explained to her what happened in the morning and how she was progressing throughout the day. I explained to her that even though I was inclined for the pregnancy theory I also thought Mercy could be suffering from some sort of anemia and that was the main reason of her weakness. As an advice, she told me to take Mercedes the next morning to the hospital instead of waiting for her to get back from California and that she was going to meet us there as soon as she landed in New York, not caring about the jet lag or anything.

The next morning Mercedes woke up in better shape and we followed her mother's advice and went to the hospital. A good advantage that she had was that her mother was a well-known surgeon and Mercy carried some of her privileges. We did not wait long for Mercy to get a generalist to take a look at her. As soon as they got a room for her, they started to get her ready for the physical tests they were going to run on her and fear started to consume me. Something in her changed and she looked like she felt like some sort of lab rat, I knew fear was running through her mind as soon as she locked her gaze with mine. Seconds later, my whole world crumbled, as soon as the nurses pulled the needles she started bleeding vigorously and she started to complain about body aches.

"Baby, what's going on?"

"Sam, my body hurts a lot. It feels like someone is digging holes in my body."

While I was trying to comfort her, a nurse tapped me on my shoulder and said,

"Young man, you have to leave the room. We need to do our job and I don't wanna be rude but you are in our way." I politely smiled, kissed Mercedes in the forehead and told her I was going to be outside waiting. As soon as I turned to leave the room, the most terrible thing happened. Mercedes passed out and as much as I tried to get back to her side all the personnel pushed me out of the room.

Twenty minutes passed and I was pacing back and forth in the hallway with no news about Mercedes. A few minutes afterwards, Mercedes' mother made her appearance.

"Sam, how are you?"

"Panicked. Terrified. They won't tell me anything because I am not family."

She put her hands over my shoulders and said,

"Let me talk to Dr. Morris to see what I can find out. Stay calm, Sam. She needs you to be calm and collected."

Mercedes' mother walked inside the room and I felt like dying every minute she spent there. Her father arrived sometime after and we both stood there waiting for news. After the longest 35 minutes of my life and seeing people coming in and out of Mercy's room, her mother and Dr. Morris finally came out. Mercedes' mother looked as if her life got sucked out her.

"Derek… Sam… Let's go down to the cafeteria. There's a lot I need to say to both of you."

We both looked at each other and nodded at her. We all walked silently towards the elevator. The ride to the cafeteria felt like hell. All of us were scared to even look at each other and by that, I knew things with Mercedes were not OK.

We took our places at a table located in the back of the crowed cafeteria. As soon as Mercedes' mom started speaking, I felt like I was losing my ability to breathe. She explained the different procedures they ran on her and the results they got from the labs that they ran quickly. For a pre-med student this was a golden moment to learn; for me it was just gibberish.

"Guys, what I am trying to say to you is that Mercedes is not pregnant, like we thought and she's not suffering from a severe case of anemia. All the results are registering high levels of white cells and low levels of platelets." She said in the saddest tone. "Sam what other symptoms has she been experiencing lately?"

"Well… She had some strange and very constant headaches. She could be feverish some days and the other things that we both told you, other than that, nothing else." I said looking for some answers in her eyes.

"Sam, they are keeping Mercedes overnight to run one last test tomorrow morning so we can get a definitive answer." She said seriously.

"What kind of test?" I asked.

"A bone marrow biopsy." She said holding back her tears.

Mercedes' father spoke for the first time since we started the conversation,

"Deborah, that means…" He could not finish his sentence due to his sobs.

"What does that mean? I know I should know about this but right now my mind is not working properly."

"Sam, the result of this biopsy will confirm if Mercedes has leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia, to be exact."

"Leukemia? Leukemia, as in cancer?"

"Yes… Sam, I am so so…" She too was sobbing before she could finish what she was going to say.

She held my hand looking for some sort of reaction but I could not feel anything. I was numb. How do we all go from thinking she was pregnant to she could have cancer? How is she going to react if the result of the biopsy confirms that she has cancer? How could I cope with the fact that my girlfriend, the love of my life, the girl that made me fight hard for her, my best friend, was going to be struggling with a terminal disease? She was only 21 years-old! How could this be happening to her? As questions filled my mind, tears fell down my cheeks. I was aching for Mercedes, for what we have, for her parents, for our friends and for me. This was not going to be easy for anybody but I knew our love was stronger than anything in this world; and I was certain that we were going to make it through the storm.

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**A/N: **What do you guys think? Yes or no? I am so sorry for ending the chapter this way... I know this is a major bump for them but stick around to find out what is going to happen. I don't know when I am going to be able to update because work and school are kicking my butt, also I need to organize the research I've been doing for the following chapters with the help I got from some of my mother's friends, that are doctors. Please be patient, I promise I won't let you guys down.

A big thanks to my Beta, Rose... You are AMAZING!

Until Next Time...


	14. Revelation

Hello Again... Here I am with a new update... Life has gotten in the way and it's taking me forever to write a proper chapter (I miss summertime when I had time for everything). I really hope you like what my mind decided to give me for this chapter since this story is coming to an end soon... Bittersweet...

I would love to thank all of you who have taken the time to review, follow or favorite the story... It means the world to me... Also to the people that have sent me some PM with compliments... THANK YOU!

As always please forgive any mistake you might see, my Beta and I are only mortals and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate). I do not own Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandom. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, if any is use in the chapter; the rights go to the rightful owners.

On to the chapter... Don't forget to review!

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Chapter 14

**Sam's POV**

After the conversation Mercedes' parents and I had at the cafeteria, I could not think straight for hours. The next morning Mercedes was taken to another part of the hospital for her final test than later that day confirmed that she had leukemia. I felt like my whole world crumbled. She could sense something bad was happening but I could not find the strength to tell her, neither could her parents. Every time the doctors wanted to speak to her parents, they did it far away of her hearing reach.

"Sam, what is going on? Why is it that every time a doctor comes, my parents decide to talk outside the room?"

"I don't know Mercy. Maybe is because I'm here and I'm not family and shouldn't know what is going with you."

She reached for my hand and said, "Sam, for me you are family. You are my boyfriend, my future husband."

When she said future husband, I felt like someone punched me in the stomach. I could not breathe and I did not know what to say.

"Sam, are you alright? You got tense all of the sudden." She gave me a stern look. I knew she has an idea of what was going on.

"I'm alright baby. Look, I am going to make a phone call. I've been here for three days and I need to find out what is going on with my classes and stuff. I'll be right back!" I kissed her on the forehead and left the room with tearful eyes. My heart was aching because all I wanted to do was to tell her that no matter her condition, I was going to be by her side and I was going to love her until the end of time.

When I got out of the room, I found Mercedes' parents sitting on a bench by the elevators hugging each other. I walked towards them and said,

"Mercy, needs to know. I can't look at her and lie. I just can't."

They both looked at me and Mercedes' father spoke,

"Son, we are going to do it today. She's getting released from the hospital tomorrow and the day after that she's going to her first appointment with her oncologist."

"Isn't that a bit too fast for her? I mean she is going to find out today about her condition and in two days she has to face her oncologist. I don't think she's going to handle this properly." I said.

"Sam, there's not going to be a proper way to handle this situation. The only reason she hasn't been released is because I fear that she'll go into shock and we'll end up here again." Her mother said.

"I'm just looking out for her. She's my girlfriend and I want what's best for her." I said.

"Sam, we understand your frustration. We are frustrated too and as her parents, we want what's best for her. As doctors, we want what's best for her, as a patient." Her mother added.

"Well… May I be present when the conversation happens? I need to be there." I said with a pleading tone.

"Of course, Sam. I know that having you inside that room is going to be the only thing that will keep Mercedes from breaking down." Her dad said.

"My girl is strong, Sam; but her life is about to change drastically and she needs to know that the people that she loves are going to be there every step of the way." Her mom stated.

"That's what I want her to understand more than anything." I said while I got my phone out of my pocket. "I need to make some phone calls, I'll be right back." I added as I walked away from them.

After my conversation with Mercedes' parents, I texted our friends to let them know that they needed to keep their agendas clear for the night because I needed to tell them about Mercedes condition urgently. For the past three days, they blew up my phone but to be honest I was not ready to face Mercedes' reality yet and telling them before I was ready was forcing me to deal with that reality. Later, I called some of my classmates to find out what I have been missing from my classes. When I hung up with them, my head was spinning. It looked like in those three days I missed the same amount information a student in high school covered in three months. I placed the thoughts about classes in the back of my mind as I received a text from Mercedes' father, Derek, telling me to meet them in the room. As soon as I walked inside her room, I could feel the undeniable tension in the air. I took my place next to Mercedes' bed, while her mother sat on the other side in the bed facing her, while her dad stood behind her mother, placing his hands on Mrs. Jones shoulders.

"Mom, Dad, Sam…" Mercedes' eyes started to fill with tears. "What's going on?"

"Baby girl, what I am about to tell you is going to change your life drastically." Her mom said holding her hand dearly.

"Whatever it is… just say it." Mercedes snapped.

Mercedes gaze moved frantically from her mother, to her father and ultimately to me.

"You know what's going on, don't you?" She said snappishly with tears trailing down her cheeks. "You know and you did not tell me." She wiped the tears from her face.

My body froze. I could not say a word or move. I just stayed on that chair, glued to it.

"Sam, out of everyone I expected you to be honest with me." She was hurt and she had all the right to be, but I could not be honest with her when I myself could not handle what was going on with her.

"Mercedes, it was not my place…" She stopped me mid-sentence.

"Not your place? Sam, you are my boyfriend." She snapped.

"Yes I am and I love you, but you need to understand, yes I know what's going on but it was not my place to tell you, so, please let your mother speak." I replied. She gave me her signature death glare and then looked at her mother.

"Mom…"

"Yes?"

She looked into her mother eyes and said, "You have the floor."

"Mercedes, all the changes that you have been facing are due to…" Mercedes' mom took a deep breath, "Mercedes, my darling… You have leukemia."

Mercedes demeanor changed abruptly. Her expressions went from confusion, to anger and lastly to sadness and fear. She lowered her gaze and in that instant, tears fell on her bed sheets. She looked up a few seconds later, her eyes were red and puffy and she was a completely different person.

"Mom, you're telling me that I have cancer?" She placed her hands on top of her head, indicating frustration.

"Unfortunately, yes." Her mom said.

Mercedes looked at me, her eyes showed fear, pain, desperation. I finally opened my mouth.

"Mercedes, now you understand why I couldn't tell you anything. I'm still trying to comprehend everything. How was I supposed to tell you that you have leukemia, when I am still denying the reality of your diagnosis?"

I stood up and sat on the bed with her. I grabbed her hand and placed it over my chest.

"Mercedes Jones, there's one thing I want you to know, something I need you to understand. I love you and I am going to be here with you every step of the way. We are going to make it, alright?" I said squeezing her hand a bit harder.

She released her hand roughly from mine and said,

"Sam, I need you to leave the room."

I was shocked. "What? You don't mean that."

She stared at me fiercely. "I do. I want you to leave this room, now."

"I can't. I won't…" I said gently as I tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled away.

"I SAID NOW!" She burst into tears.

I did not want her to get more frustrated so I stood up and left the room. I have never felt so rejected in my life. All I wanted was to show her that no matter the circumstances I was going to be there like a knight in shining armor. _Why is she rejecting me when she needs all the love and support she can get? What is exactly going through her mind?_ As soon as I reached the elevators, I felt a hand on my shoulder and when I turned around, I found Mercedes' father.

"Son, walk with me."

We walked to a café near the hospital and sat at a table outside the establishment.

"What is going on? Why did she kick me out?" I said a bit desperate.

"Look Sam, I really don't know what is going on in her mind right now. I am a dentist not a psychologist but she just got the news that her life changed due to a disease she did not ask to have. She's only 21 years-old and she thought she had her whole life ahead of her…" I stopped him mid-sentence.

"She still can have a normal life."

"She can try and I will make sure of it. I need you to be patient with her. She will be going through a lot starting from today and all she needs is understanding. Can I count on you for that?" He said with pleading eyes.

"Mr. Jones-"

"You've known me for years now, Sam. I think it's time you call me Derek."

"Ok… Um… Derek, you can count on me."

We stayed at the café for another hour where we exchanged our concerns about the changes we were all going to face now that Mercedes knew everything. In a couple of days she was going to find out about her treatment options and all the other painful details. Mercedes' parents were taking her to that appointment and I was going back to school to try to catch up with my assignments. However, before all that could happen I needed my support system to be aware of what is going on.

I texted Mike,

"_Tell the gang to meet me at my place tonight at 8pm." _

A few minutes later, I got Mike's answer. _"Sure. See you at 8."_

Walking back to the apartment, I got a text from Mercedes,

"_I know you are meeting the gang tonight (blame Quinn for sort of telling me) but please come back to the hospital before the meeting. I need to talk to you."_

Getting that text from Mercedes somehow made me happy because she was letting me be around her, even though I did not know the reason of our conversation. Without any thought and realizing I had time to spare before meeting Mercedes and later on our friends, I made back to our apartment to freshen up. After that, I grabbed my guitar and something else that will finally prove to Mercedes that I did not want to be on the sidelines while she faces everything. I wanted to be there for her, fighting alongside her. I was just really hoping she'd say… yes.

**Mercedes' POV**

Being trapped in the hospital when I thought I was only going to be there for a physical exam was torture. Doctors and nurses came in and out of my room; they will not give me answers or explanations, nothing. This was driving me insane. Sam has been by my side all these while but he refused to tell me anything, with the excuse that he did not know anything. My parents would not say a word and every time my thoughts would drag me to dark places. _Why are they so secretive? What is really going on? I could tell I am not pregnant but, why are they so enigmatic? _Being stuck in the hospital did help me catch up with my reading, also, I worked on some ideas for the winter recital but being out of my classes for three days was going to cost me and I barely had time on my hands before all this happened.

"_I miss you old roomie! How are you?" _The text from Sugar brought a smile to my face. I decided to call her instead of answering the text.

"I'm on bed rest, not pregnant and still alive." I said answering her text. "How are you? How's pregnancy treating you?" I added right away.

"Pregnancy is killing me, Mercy! I feel like I ate a balloon. I can't wait to pop this baby out. However, I have to confess I am madly in love with the mini human that is making me look fat, hormonal and tired all the time." She admitted.

I laughed loudly. "Oh Sugar! You always find a way to make me laugh and get off from sadness."

"Sadness? What is going?" She asked worriedly.

"To be honest…" I took a deep breath. "I don't know. I can assure you again, I am not pregnant and that I'm being released from the hospital tomorrow. Besides that, I know nothing."

"Ouch, not fun girl. I hope that is nothing serious. Sorry to cut this short but I gotta go, I just got back to the apartment and I need to study for an exam. Send Sam my regards." She said.

"I will. Please send Nate a big bear hug. I love you, friend!" I said.

"Of course. I love you too!" She hung up.

After my little conversation with Sugar, I decided to keep on with my reading since neither of my parents or Sam was around. Since the day I got in the hospital, Sam and my parents were always meeting in the cafeteria for conversations, leaving me wondering about what was really going on with me. Also, it bothered me that they had the freedom to walk around and do stuff while I was withering inside that room.

Sometime later, I felt my phone buzzing; I picked it up and noticed it was Quinn calling,

"Hello Quinn!" I answered enthusiastically.

"Hello Mercy! I'm sorry I haven't been able to go visit you. I was just calling to see how you were doing, since I can't get a hold of Sam." She said.

"I'm feeling better. My arms are full of bruises and still have some body aches but I'm feeling stronger." I answered sincerely.

"But… Sam texted us that things got complicated with you. What happened?" She asked anxiously.

"Honestly, the only thing I remember was passing out because of all the pain I felt and in that moment the pregnancy theory left everyone's minds." I replied.

"So, this means that you don't know what's going on exactly?" She asked highly confused.

"Nope. They are all very mysterious." I let out a grunt. "But I am not going to read into things. I am getting released tomorrow so it can't be anything serious."

"Those are some good news. Maybe I can stop by your place for some girl talk."

"It's a date."

After some pleasantries, I ended my conversation with Quinn. I miss being around her, Sugar and the rest of my friends. It has only been a couple of days but we were a very tight group. I had to admit, I even missed Rachel, even though we were not close. I looked at some of the pictures I had on my phone and I felt some deep sadness. It felt like it I was looking at my last moments of happiness and after leaving the hospital tomorrow there were not going to be any pictures like those anymore. I held my phone tightly against my chest and whispered,

"_Everything is going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright."_

I do not know if it was the wooziness or all the feelings that were attacking my heart but I fell into a deep slumber until I felt my mother delicately trying to wake me up.

"Hey Mercedes, how's my little princess?" My mother lovely said.

"I'm fine, drowsy but I'll be my normal self soon." I said straightening myself in the bed.

"Baby girl, we need to talk."

As soon as she said those words, all my drowsiness left my body. I looked around the room and I realized my father was also there. I was scared but at the same time, I felt some sort of anger. _Where is Sam? Why do my parents look so worried? Are they going to tell me what is going on? Why is Sam not here?_ My mind was filling itself with so many thoughts that I did not realize Sam walked into the room and sat next to my bed. I looked at all of them like a deer in front of a headlight. I was terrified beyond my own comprehension.

After the first words left my mother's mouth, I knew everyone in that room except for me, knew the truth about my condition. My blood started to boiled. I snapped at Sam for hiding what he knew from me, even though my mom had not finished her speech. I was confused, frustrated and mad. All I wanted from them was the truth and they kept it away from me. But, my shock was when I let my mother speak again and she informed me that I was diagnosed with leukemia. I felt like Regina, the 'Evil Queen' from Once Upon a Time, ripped my heart out and clutched it into ashes. My eyes became watery and all the anger I felt was wash away by fear. _I am only 21 years-old, why do I have to deal with this. Nobody in my family has had this disease, why me? I have my whole life ahead of me; I have Sam, my family, my friends, everything I ever wanted._ I could not believe what my mother said. I had cancer, I will have to face chemotherapy and some other kind of treatments and I will have to put my college career on hold. My life got seriously screwed.

When I finally found the courage to look at the people in my room, I knew my eyes were red and puffy. At that moment Sam, said that he could not find the strength to tell me because he could not comprehend the reality of the diagnosis yet but that he was going to be with me every step of the way. I could not handle having such an amazing guy going through something as hard as this. Sam needed to be free, he needed to enjoy life, finish his studies and find happiness. I needed to set him free. I kicked him out of my room without any contemplation and to everyone's shock.

My dad left the room seconds after Sam left, leaving me alone to face my mother. I dreaded this moment deeply. Facing my mother or my aunt Sophie, who after struggling with relationships found herself in the arms an amazing guy called Matthew and moved to London after getting married, was hitting the wall of reality. They will not back down until I understand where I was right and where I was wrong.

"Mercedes, we need to talk! Let's talk mother to daughter, woman to woman. I know that your mind is full of questions and you are on a rollercoaster of emotions and you still have a long way to before you assimilate your situation, but you can't push away the people that love you and want to help you get through all this." My mother said sternly.

"Why not? I don't want people's pity." I snapped.

"People's pity? You are telling me that Sam randomly stopped loving you and now he pities you. Do you hear yourself and your stupidity? Mercedes, as your mother I feel for you and I am devastated by the diagnosis you got. As a doctor, I have to tell you, you are not the first or the last person that will struggle with this ugly disease. You need all the love and support you can get, don't push the people that love you away." My mother said.

"Mom, I'm scared." I grabbed her hand and look into her eyes and I could tell that she was scared too.

"I know."

"I don't want to die." I whispered.

"Mercedes, at some point in life… we all do." She said.

"I mean I want to live longer. I still need to leave my mark in the world. I want to get married, have kids. I want my happily ever after." I said, trying to stifle the urge to wail.

"You will get it Mercedes because you are going to fight this, like the warrior I know you are and I will be right next to you giving you the strength you need, as well as you father and I know that Sam will be holding your hand every step of the way." She assured me.

"I hope so." Even though my mother's words were encouraging, I could not help but feel somehow defeated.

"Mercy, as time progresses you will see I am far from wrong."

"But what if Sam gets tired; I don't think I could handle it if he leaves." I said worriedly.

"He won't." She said firmly. "Just keep your faith up, Mercedes."

"Mom, what about my friends?"

"What about them?"

"I mean, how can I deliver them the news?"

"Tell them when you're ready or let Sam handle that. It's not like you and him hang out with different crowds and I'm pretty sure they will be more than understanding and supporting. Darling, you need to stop doubting people, especially the people that have always been there for you."

"I know mother, it's just that this is a lot to process and it would be a while before I can finally deal with everything properly." I said looking outside the window of my room.

"That's ok, my dear. My only concern now is Sam. What are you going to do with him? You were pretty harsh on him just now and to make things worse, you kicked him out of the room." She raised an eyebrow.

"Don't remind me." I shamefully said.

"Well, I'm going to grab some coffee so you can have some time and privacy to think." She stood up and walked to the door. "Do you want something?" She asked before heading out.

"Nah. I'm fine."

A few minutes later after my mom left my phone buzzed again. It was a text from Quinn,

"_Mercy, why is Sam asking us to meet him at your place at 8?" _It read.

"_It's time, that's all I am going to say."_

"_Time for what?"_

"_Reality." _

"_Stop with the riddles."_

"_It's not a riddle." _

"_This is getting on my nerves. TTYL" _

After exchanging text messages with Quinn, and finding out that Sam had already planned to tell our friends, I decided to text Sam and tell him that I needed to talk to him before that meeting. I was mad he decided to tell them without telling me first but I could not blame him after my outburst from earlier. I was becoming a bit of a drama-queen. After I texted Sam, I started to mentally prepare a speech for him. I wanted assurance from him, but I wanted him to know that he did not have to stay in this relationship if he did not want to. I wanted him to know that no matter what I was about to face and if he decided to stay around I was willing to make our relationship work and to keep it in a healthy stand.

Little did I know that while I was planning on how to explain to him how I felt, he was planning to ask me something that based on my answer could strengthen our relationship or rip it to pieces.

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**A/N: **What do you guys think? Yes or no? What is Sam up to? Will Mercedes like it? More importantly, will she give Sam the answer he is expecting?

Let me know what you think...

Rose, my lovely Beta... Thank You!

Until Next Time, Lovelies...


	15. Marry Me

Hello! It's me again with the next to the last update of the story! So far it has been an amazing ride and I appreciate every follow, favorite and review I got so far. I never thought I was going to get any, I got into this adventure not sure of the outcome and I have to thanks my friend and beta, Rose for helping me through all this.

I really hope that you guys like this new update and please forgive any mistakes you might run into. My Beta and I are only humans and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate). I do not own Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandom. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, the rights go to the rightful owners.

The songs used in this chapter are: Band-Aid by Pixie Lott and If I Never Get To Heaven by Javier Colon. _**(Lyrics are written in Bold &**_** Italics)**

On to the chapter and don't forget to review...

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Chapter 15

**Mercedes' POV**

As I waited for Sam, I decided to reconnect with the world and watch some TV. I watched some Bravo shows trying to keep myself composed but honestly, it was quite impossible. There were many things going through my mind and I did not know how to start the conversation with Sam. Yes, the main thing I wanted to tell him was that I wanted him to stick around even though I did not know what the future would hold for us, but I was going to fight with every fiber inside me to make every moment worthwhile.

While there, in the room, a lot of memories came to my mind. All the happy times we have spent since we knew each other, but the one that always left me breathless was the moment when Principal Figgins introduced us in his office all those years ago. That was the moment life, as I knew it changed for me, the moment I opened myself to happiness and love. Of course, that road became somewhat bumpy at one point and I knew that what was coming was going to test my relationship with Sam to extreme limits but if he was willing to face the obstacles, why would not I?

My mother walked in the room, so quietly that I almost had a heart attack when she tapped my shoulder wanting to get my attention.

"Hey baby girl, I'm back." She said as she sat on the chair next to my bed. "Did you decide what you want to do?"

"Yes. I texted Sam as soon as you left the room to meet me here in a little while." I inhaled deeply and let out deep sigh. "He is going to tell our friends tonight. He told them to meet him at our apartment at 8."

"He moves fast." My mother said.

"Tell me about it. I just think he is accepting my fate better than he even thought." I replied.

"Could be or maybe he is just trying to look for more people to help him understand it. Remember what I told you, the more support both of you get at this early stage, the easier it will be for both of you."

"I am starting to understand, mom."

"Good. I am going back home to shower and then I will head to Brookdale Hospital to check on some patients. Let me know how your conversation with Sam goes." She stood up and kissed me in the temple.

"I will."

My moments of solitude led my mind to think about the future. A future that I did not know how far it would go; a future I will wait for with hope and expectation. In that moment, I decided to give myself the chance of a better life no matter the circumstances. I was going to be fearless and I was going to seize the days given to me from that day on.

Since I had some time before my meeting with Sam I decided to play some music on my Pandora cellphone app and a song I have never heard before came on and it delighted my heart. Maybe the lyrics were simple but the simplicity of the words related to my relationship with Sam, somehow.

_**When I met you  
I really didn't like you  
First impression was that you were somebody who  
Walked right by when I waved at you and say hi  
But they say  
Wild beginnings make happy endings  
And now that I know you I begin to understands things  
Turn around a hundred and eighty degree  
I found my missing piece  
**_

_**There something 'bout you**_

_**That's like the sun**_

_**You warm up my heart when I come undone  
You like my soul mate  
And all those things  
When I hurt  
When I brake**_

_**You are my band aid You are, you are**_  
_**When I hurt**_

_**When I brake  
You are You are, you are  
When I hurt  
When I brake  
You are**_

_**When I get caught in the rain**_  
_**And it feels like**_  
_**There is no one in the world who understands my**_  
_**Complications that I face everyday**_  
_**As I talk it thought with you**_  
_**No matter how I try to hide**_  
_**Just see straight from my disguise**_  
_**You know how to fix me**_  
_**You are my therapy**_  
_**Baby oh**_

_**There something 'bout you**_  
_**That's like the sun**_  
_**You warm up my heart when I come undone**_  
_**You like my soul mate**_

_**And all those things  
When I hurt  
When I break  
You are my band aid You are, you are  
When I hurt  
When I brake  
You are You are, you are  
When I hurt  
When I brake  
You are**_

_**Isn't it funny how these things get turn around?**_  
_**Just when I thought I knew you**_  
_**You prove me wrong**_  
_**I use to hate the things you love**_

_**And love the things you hate**_

_**And now I like it**_  
_**I like it**_  
_**I like it**_  
_**Now I la la la like it**_  
_**I like it**_

_**I like it  
Now I la la la like it  
I like it  
I like it**_

_**There something 'bout you**_  
_**That's like the sun**_  
_**You warm up my heart when I come undone**_  
_**You like my soul mate**_

_**And all those things  
When I hurt  
When I brake  
Mhm  
You are my band aid You are, you are  
When I hurt  
When I brake  
You are You are, you are  
When I hurt  
When I brake  
You are**_

_**And now I like it**_  
_**I like it**_  
_**I like it**_  
_**Now I la la la like it**_  
_**I like it**_

_**I like it  
Now I la la la like it  
I like it  
Lalalalalala I like it  
I lalala like it**_

Yes, Sam Evans was my Band-Aid and I was content with that. He had the ability lift my spirit and put me back together when I have needed to be sort of fixed. While distracted by the music, I did not notice Sam walked inside the room, guitar in hand looking all kinds of nervous. His face was pale but his ears were raging red.

"Hey…" I greeted him as I took off my headphones.

"Hey babe!" He leaned close and gave me a chaste peck on the lips.

"Is everything OK? You looked extremely nervous." I said giving him a thorough look; I was trying to figure out why he was acting so weird. However, I have to say he was a vision on that white V-neck shirt, leather jacket and dark wash jeans. My lady loins, as Santana always says, were on fire.

"Well, I am nervous… You said you wanted to talk." He said as he placed his guitar next to the bed and he sat in the bed facing me.

Glancing at his green eyes made my body shivered, his now mature facial features showed me that the Sam sitting in front of me was not the same young and naïve Sam I met back in junior year, he was all grown up and perfect.

"Mercedes, what is it? What do you wanna talk about?" He said a bit frightened.

"Simple. I wanna talk about us." I said steadily.

"Us?" He was close to losing it.

"Sam… with the news I got today things are going to change inevitably in my life." I said trying to sound convincing instead of scared. "I don't know any details about my condition, what my treatment is going to be like or how much time I have left-" Sam interrupted me.

"Mercedes, please stop." I could see the pain my words were causing him but if I wanted this relationship to survive he needed to understand where I stood.

"Babe, I don't want you to be upset or sad but there is something very real about all this; my time is ticking and nobody knows when it is going to stop." I said as I wiped the tear that fell down his cheek.

"Mercedes, I don't care about that I just wanna be with you today, tomorrow and for the rest of your life. I care about your happiness, your well-being, your stability and I just wanna love you, every day." He was holding my hand dearly. "You made me a better person, you have showed me what love is all about and there's a lot that you still have to show me in years to come."

"Years to come?" I asked surprised that he had the faith that I was going to be around for a long time.

"Yes. I might not be the sharpest christian but I have faith that I will see a miracle in you." He smiled, making me smile.

We just kept staring at each other, like we were having a silent conversation. Sometime later, he grabbed his guitar and sang the most heartfelt song I ever heard. After the words of the song sunk into my brain and my heart, I could not formulate a sentence, not because he did something wrong but because it was so right, it scared me. I just looked outside the window into the light blue sky expecting some guidance from the heavens.

"What's on your mind?" He asked.

"Many things..." I answered sincerely. "Sam, that song was so beautiful, so right."

"I know. I would have liked to have more time to practice for it-" This time it was my time to stop him.

"It was perfect because it came from a sincere place. It was genuine." I said caressing his face.

Sam stood up from the bed and placed his guitar on the chair nearby. He put his hand on the pockets of his jacket and got tense when he sat on the bed again.

"Mercedes, I don't know what exactly you planned for this conversation but I need to take my shot while I am here and I for what I can sense, we are on the same page. Mercy, since the day we met I knew you were it for me. The day I lost you during senior year has been the darkest day of my life, because you have brought the light I always needed in my life and I don't ever want to feel that emptiness I felt when you were gone, ever again. I know that what we are about to face will test everything we know about our relationship but I know that together we will make it."

He pulled one of his hands out his pocket and I saw that he was holding a light blue little box and I knew that it could only mean one thing. He opened the box and pulled out the velvet box that held the symbol of our future.

"Almost five years ago I gave you a promise ring as my way to tell you that I was going to protect you, cherish you, respect you and love you for the rest of my life. Today our lives took the most unexpected turn but we can make this a day to remember for something good instead of something bad."

"Do you think so?" I said eyeing the velvet box.

"Yes." He said firmly. "Mercedes Jones, you are the girl of my dreams, my safe harbor, the part I was missing for a perfect life. My love for you grows with each passing day and I know it will never fade away. Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

The tears that were freely leaving my eyes clouded my vision. I was happy yet confused. Sam wanted to move forward not caring about the disease and how things were going to turn for us after today, he wanted to stay and make me happy. I was speechless and at the same time full of fear, this was too good to be true and as usual, doubts started to pile up in my mind. _Was he rushing into marrying me because of my disease? Was he actually ready for this kind of commitment? Was he settling because he knew he was going to be out of the situation not long after? _

After much deliberation, I tried to answer but nothing came out. Sam became anxious and asked again, holding the most beautiful Tiffany's engagement ring I have ever seen.

"Mercedes, will you marry me?"

I tried to speak but it felt like I had a knot in my throat. Yes, I was officially panicking.

**Sam's POV**

On my way back to the hospital, I looked outside the cab's window taking in the scenery of Manhattan, busy avenues, streets and the great mixture of people from different places that nourished the particular blend of the city. Looking around I internalized how blessed I was at this point of my life. I had the most amazing family back in Lima, family I still had to call to let them know about what was going on, an amazing group of friends that were here in the city and scattered around other states but my biggest blessing was definitely Mercedes. She changed my life since the moment I saw her walking down that hallway at McKinley. She was my rock, my crying shoulder, my peace, my friend, my lover and hopefully soon my wife. Life played some bad tricks on us and the road to happiness has been quite hectic for both but that was the magic about life. Everything is unknown until life, itself, decides to make known whatever it has in store for us.

As I arrived to my stop, I paid the cab driver and headed inside the hospital. The ride up Mercedes room was nerve-wracking. I did not know why Mercedes wanted to talk to me and the closer I got to her room, the more anxious I got because my plan could blow up in my face if she wanted to break things off with me. Her outburst from earlier was really making me doubt everything I had in mind. When I walked inside her room, she was so involved in her music she did not notice I was standing in front of her. Just looking at her made my heart skip a beat. For me, Mercedes Jones was perfect; especially when she had no make-up on, her hair in a messy bun and her comfortable pajamas. That natural look was her best look. We exchanged some words and truthfully, I was just looking for the perfect moment to propose. I knew it was not the most romantic venue or the most romantic moment but it was now or never. I had the ring since sophomore year of college because I knew the only girl I ever wanted to marry was her. That piece of jewelry cost me a little fortune but it was worth it, I wanted the best for her because she was the best thing I ever had.

We talked and after I figured out, we both wanted the same things out of our relationship I found the courage to go ahead with the proposal. I grabbed my guitar and played a song I heard one night when I went out for drinks with Mike, Nate and Kurt.

_**What Does Your Love Mean To Me**_  
_**It's Something I Can't Answer Easily**_  
_**Just Like The Air That I Breathe**_  
_**You Fill Me Up Inside, You Give Me All That I Need**_  
_**Like A Bird Flying High On A Summers Day**_  
_**You're The Wind That Carries Me Away**_  
_**To A Place Where You And I Will Always Stay Forever**_

_**If I Never Get To Heaven Then At Least I Will Have Known**_  
_**I Had An Angel Here On Earth That I Could Call My Very Own**_  
_**And If This World Should End Tomorrow, Girl This Much I Know Is True**_  
_**I Found My Piece Of Heaven The Day That I Found You**_

_**Longer Than Poets Will Rhyme**_  
_**Girl My Love Will Burn For You Until The End Of Time**_  
_**If I Should Die Before Tomorrow Comes**_  
_**I Won't Regret A Single Day, Because I Had Your Love**_  
_**Must Be Something In The Way You Say My Name**_  
_**It Takes Away My Worries And My Pain**_  
_**Girl I Know We'll Make It Through The Rain Together**_

_**If I Never Get To Heaven Then At Least I Will Have Known**_  
_**I Had An Angel Here On Earth That I Could Call My Very Own**_  
_**And If This World Should End Tomorrow Girl This Much I Know Is True**_  
_**I Found My Piece Of Heaven The Day That I Found You**_

_**Like A River Flows And A Flower Grows, My Love For You Will Never Fade**_  
_**Like The Sun Will Rise In The Morning Sky**_  
_**You Know That I Am Here To Stay Forever**_

_**If I Never Get To Heaven Then At Least I Will Have Known**_  
_**I Had An Angel Here On Earth That I Could Call My Very Own**_  
_**And If The World Should End Tomorrow**_  
_**Girl This Much I Know Is True**_  
_**I Have Found My Piece Of Heaven The Day That I Found You**_

_**Like A River Flows And A Flower Grows, My Love For You Will Never Fade**_  
_**Like The Sun Will Rise In The Morning Sky You Know I Am Here To Stay**_

This song reflected how I felt about Mercedes and everything I have experienced since I met her until that very moment. I did not know if I was going to make it to heaven at the end of my days but something I knew for sure was that Mercedes was the angel God blessed me with.

After I finish the song, I placed the guitar on the closest chair and sat back in the bed; I hid my hand in the pockets of my jacket. My nervousness was taking over me because I was approaching the moment that will make me the happiest man on earth or the most miserable one. Mercedes was looking penetratingly at me, looking for some sort of reaction but I was failing miserably. I took a deep breath and I started spattering the most honest words that have ever left my mouth. I started talking without taking a break to breathe. I wanted Mercedes to know my feelings, my intentions and finally I pulled the tiny box that held the meaning of my future out of the pocket. She observed the box with some incredulity; once again, I took charge of the conversation. I got the ring out and finally popped the most important question of my life. Tears fell freely from her eyes and I knew she was having a hard time channeling everything I just placed on her side of the court. After the longest minutes I have ever lived, I managed to ask her again,

"Mercedes, will you marry me?"

She looked like she was about to lose it and I started to lose all hope. She looked down, her hands were fidgeting with each other, like she was thinking what she wanted to say but it was not coming out. When I thought the silence was her answer, I started to stand up when she grabbed my arm and said,

"Sam, please don't go. I'm just very overwhelmed by everything. There is nothing more that I want in life that to be with you forever, but our forever might be short."

"I don't care. I just want you to be happy, I want to hold your hand during the troubled moments and I want to love you and love you every single day."

Her eyes were red, puffy and watery. She lightly laughed,

"Sam, what am I going to do with you?"

"I don't know… Love me… I guess." I said smiling.

"That I already do. I love you with all my heart Sam Evans and it would be an honor to become your wife." She blurted.

"What did you just say?" I asked. I understood every single word she just said but I wanted to hear them again. My heart was palpitating so fast I thought I was going into cardiac arrest.

"My answer is… YES! I wanna marry you Sam!"

Shaking, I grabbed her left hand and placed the ring in her finger. It was a perfect fit. I took her face in my hands and with both of my thumbs; I wiped the tears that were falling from her eyes.

"Thanks for making me the happiest man on the planet." I kissed her tenderly. When I pulled out of the kiss, I looked into her eyes and once again, I got lost in them. She was everything I ever wanted and I was going to make sure she knew that every day for the rest of her life. "Thanks for making me feel this indescribable feeling that I know I will carry for the rest of life."

We lost track of the time professing our love again and again, that I almost missed the buzzing of my cellphone. Mike texted me that the gang was on their way to my place for the meeting I scheduled. I texted him that instead of going to the apartment, they came straight to the hospital since he had another thing we wanted to share with them. When Mike texted that they detoured and were on their way to the hospital, Mercedes pulled out her cellphone and made a three-way call to her parents.

Her parents were ecstatic. Since she was so engrossed in her conversation, I took the opportunity to ring my parents and put them up to date with what was going on. Stacy picked up the phone after the first ring.

"Sammy!" She greeted me.

"Hey Stacy! How are you little sister?"

"Not so little anymore. I am a teenager now. Show some respect." She said and I rolled my eyes. "And don't roll your eyes at me. I know you are doing it right now." She was good and at 16, the most fiery of all the Evans.

"OK, OK. How are things?" I continued.

"They're good. Stevie and I just got back from a friends' house. Mom is cooking and dad is in his office. Everything is as normal as you left it." She laughed.

"Can you get everyone in the kitchen? There are some things I need to share with all of you."

"Sure. Give me a minute."

After she gathered everyone in the kitchen, put me on speaker an all the greetings were given I proceeded to tell them what was happening with Mercedes. I could hear my mother's sobs and I had a pretty good image of the stunned looks of my father and my siblings.

"Oh my God, Sam! I was expecting for you to tell us that we were becoming grandparents, not that Mercedes is sick." My mom managed to say between sobs. "How is she? May I speak to her?"

"She's OK, mom. She's holding up. She is actually on the phone with her parents. She is telling them some good news." I said in a more chipper tone.

"Good news?" Stevie asked.

"Yeah!" I said. "Family, I know the timing might be off but I couldn't wait any longer. I just asked Mercedes to marry me and she said yes."

The screaming on the other line was so loud I thought the whole episode could hear them.

"OMG, OMG! Sammy is getting married! Woohoo!" Stacy shouted.

"Congratulations son, it is a lot to digest right now but the thing I know for sure is that the two of you are going to be alright." My dad said.

"Congratulations Sam, I am happy for you." Stevie said.

"Sam, my son, I am so happy you finally decided to take your relationship with Mercedes to the next level but you need to keep in mind that you are going to face some serious things. I know the love between the two of you is strong and it will prevail but I want you to understand that." My mom said.

"Thanks Mom! Thank you all! This means everything to me. I know not everything is going to be a fairytale but I have all of you, Mercedes' parents and my friends to help." My heart was so full of joy, knowing that both of our families were happy and supporting with the decision we took and that proved me that I made the right move.

After we both hung up, we tried to cuddle in Mercedes' bed. It was quite uncomfortable but I would not miss the opportunity to be close to her. These were the moments I missed the most, she was the person that made me feel complete and the one that made me feel so full of happiness. Mercedes Jones was everything to me. Minutes later, we heard a knock on the door.

"That has to be them." I said.

"Yeah! Sam, we need to keep this conversation short. Visiting hours are ending in an hour." Mercedes said.

"That's ok. The problem is not going to be us, anyways. The problem is going to be the girls, especially Sugar." I said, remembering that Sugar's pregnancy has been driving us crazy.

I opened the door to our friends and I realized they all had worried expressions. As they walked inside, they greeted Mercedes and accommodate around the room. They looked expectant to whatever we had to say. As I sat next to Mercedes, she held my hand and I started,

"Hi guys and thanks for coming. I'm sorry I changed the original plans but Mercedes wanted to be present and as you guys know she's not going to be out of here until tomorrow afternoon."

"As some of you know… I was experiencing some conditions that were causing some changes in my body. There's no easy way to say this so, I am going to be bold and say this once. This is very sensitive thing for me, Sam and our families and just need make sure we all count with all of your support." Mercedes' eyes got watery but she shook her head, took a deep breath and continued,

"After running some tests the doctors found out that all these changes I've been experiencing were due to leukemia."

They were all shocked. Kurt's eyes looked that they were going to pop out of his face at any moment.

"What?" Tina said shocked.

"Oh my God! Mercy, no! You can't have cancer." Sugar wailed. Nate ran to her side to comfort her.

"This can't be happening!" Quinn said almost horrified.

"Leukemia. I must say and I think I speak for all of us, we were not expecting this at all." Mike said troubled.

"Life loves to play some really bad tricks on me." Mercedes said trying to sound collected. She wanted to look strong for her own sake. "I am a fighter and I am going to beat this. Sugar, there's no need to cry." She added. Then, she looked at me and continued, "This afternoon after I found out I had leukemia, I thought it was the end of the road for me but I was wrong. Right now, I see it as an opportunity to live my life to the fullest and love until I have no strength in me and I can understand that thanks to the man sitting next to me. I am going to fight and I am going to win." I felt so proud of her; she was truly perfect.

"The beautiful words Mercedes has just said take me to announce the new and most important reason we want you to remember this day." All of our friends gave us very strange and confused looks. "I am proud to introduce to you, Mercedes Jones, my fiancée."

Sugar started squeaking. Quinn and Tina hugged and the boys applauded.

"Oh God! You two are going to make me go into early labor with all these news. First, I get this sad news and now I am so overjoyed with the news of the engagement. This is too much." Sugar said causing everybody to laugh.

Mike came close to where I was and hugged me. "Welcome to the club, Evans."

"Well Mercedes, we have a wedding to plan!" He said excitedly.

"Excuse me, Kurt?" Quinn said sternly.

"What now, Quinn?" Kurt said exasperated.

"We all have a wedding to plan." She said smiling.

"Guys, don't fight. There's no need to." Mercedes said. "Look, I don't want a huge wedding. The simpler it is the better. I just want the people dearest to my heart in that special day and guys you need to remember I just found out about my condition, I don't know anything about the treatment and how is going to affect me."

"Also, we don't know…" I could not say the words without choking up a bit. "We don't know how much time she has left."

The mood in the room changed from happiness to awkward silence.

"Guys, I don't want long faces or sadness, OK? I need all the good vibes I can get." Mercedes said.

"That's right Mercedes and that's all we are going to give you. I can speak for all of us that tonight have been an interesting night for us, but we are happy that you both decided to share this news for all of us." Nate said.

"We wouldn't want any other way." I said.

A knock on the door cut the flow of the conversation. A nurse walked inside and said, "I am sorry to interrupt but visiting hours are over. You all must leave at once."

"Sure. We will leave now." Mike said motioning all of our friends to the door.

We all said our goodbyes to Mercedes and left the room. I promised to call her when I made it home. I hated leaving her alone but she insisted it was all right.

"Sam, wanna grab a bite with us?" Nate said as we all walked outside the hospital. "The girls are going to my place to start planning Sugar's baby shower and I am pretty sure they are going to FaceTime with Mercedes and fangirl about your future wedding too."

I smiled at the mental picture of the girls talking enthusiastically about all the preparations and details.

"Sure why not! I need some food in my system."

Grabbing a late dinner with the boys was a good idea; it helped me unwind and to realized how fortunate I truly was. I have everything I wanted and more. After I got home, I texted Mercedes, got ready for bed and as soon as I placed my head on the pillow, I could not hold the tears. They were tears of joy because I knew that no matter the turbulence and the obstacles, the love Mercedes and I felt for each other and the one we would receive from the people that surrounded us was going to help us triumph and we were going to prove to others that miracles do exist.

* * *

**A/N: **Yes or No? What do you guys think? Is Sam rushing into marriage? Do you think Mercedes will back out at the last minute?

After a lot of debating I decided to end the story with the next chapter and there's going to be a slight time jump because I wanna to write about how Mercedes and Sam will face everything a cancer patient goes through. I am not going to be graphic with the details since I know it would trigger some sad memories of people very dear to me that lost the battle against cancer. One thing I can promise is that these two lovebirds will get a proper ending to their story.

Rose, thank you so much! You are amazing!

Until next time, Lovelies! :)


	16. Hope and Happiness

Well, this is it... the last chapter of my very first story, BITTERSWEET. It was a great adventure and I appreciate every single person that took time and read this. This experience has taught me a lot but especially taught me to be fearless and to let my imagination run wild and free, because the majority of the time it took me to some very fantastic places.

In this story my favorite OTP from Grey's Anatomy makes a short appearance... Yes, I changed their medical specializations to make them fit into my story so I hope all of you forgive me for such audacity but I am not over the fact that Shonda Rimes killed them off the show and I wanted them in my story... Thank you heaven for FanFiction.

I want to dedicate this story to a dear friend of mine, Rosemary. She was my best friend since we were 4 and until the she passed away she managed to smile and keep her positiveness.

I really hope that you guys like this last update and please forgive any mistakes you might run into. My Beta and I are only humans and we are far from perfect.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Glee or any of the characters (except Lacey, Marcus, Mercedes' parents, Aunt Sophie and Nate). I do not own Ryan Murphy's poor writing skills, continuity issues or trolling abilities towards the glee fandom. In addition, I do not own any of the songs, the rights go to the rightful owners.

_Flashbacks and inner thoughts are in Italics. _

On to the chapter and don't forget to review, it's the last one... :/

* * *

Chapter 16

It has been a year since Mercedes' life changed forever. Today was the day she was more grateful to be alive and to be beating all the odds. Today she remembered everything she had experienced and everything that she was blessed enough to have. When she met Doctor Mark Sloan and his colleague Doctor Lexie Grey on that first appointment she left their office so drained, she did not leave her room for three days. She locked herself in her room and not even Sam was allowed inside. On her next visit to the Sloan-Grey Oncology Center, she got some very shocking news. They told her that her leukemia stage was very advanced and they were going to try an aggressive treatment on her, in hopes of extending her life. Tears were freely falling on her cheeks at the thought of that memory.

XXXXX

"_Excuse me, Dr. Sloan, but my main concern right now is how much time I have left? A teary Mercedes asked. "You see, I just got engaged a few days ago and to be honest, I need to know the reality of my life expectancy and base my decisions from your answer." She said full of sorrow. _

"_Ms. Jones-" _

_She cut him off, "Please call me Mercedes. I hate formalities."_

"_As you wish; like I was saying, my colleague and I have observed and analyzed all your test results over and over again and we even consulted another colleague, Dr. Enrique Martin, who's an excellent oncologist in New Jersey, and we have all come to the same conclusion. Your case is a very tricky one, Mercedes. You presented all the early stage symptoms at a later stage. That makes your case very complicated." Dr. Sloan said in a sad tone. _

"_What do you mean? Mom, what does he mean?" She said desperate. _

"_Mercedes, oncology is not my forte; let Dr. Sloan explain himself." Mercedes' mother said. As a doctor, Deborah Jones, knew exactly what her colleague meant, she just did not have the strength to tell her daughter. _

_Mercedes hid her face with her hands, not ready to face the reality she so urgently wanted to know earlier. But, she needed that truth, Sam needed that truth. She needed to know if getting married was an actual option for them. She wanted to be happy but she was not going to condemn Sam to a short and hurtful marriage. _

"_Mercedes what I am trying to say is that your leukemia was detected very late, since the symptoms took a very long time to show up." Dr. Slone explained. _

_Mercedes was terrified and she looked at Dr. Grey looking for a straight and truthful answer. Dr. Grey got the hint. _

"_Mercedes, what my colleague is trying to say is that based on your test results and the treatment we can offer you, you might have between six months to nine months left."_

_Mercedes was in shock. She was not expecting to have so little time left. She just started crying while her mother was trying to comfort her. Mercedes' father in the other hand did not take the news so well. _

"_Less than a year… It can't be, it can't be possible. She's my only daughter, my little girl, my most cherished treasure and you are telling me that I am going to lose her in less than a year." Mercedes' father stormed out of the office. _

XXXXX

This was one of Mercedes' most painful memories of the past year but not everything in her life was sad. When she spoke to Sam about the severity of her condition, she was surprised he took it so calmly and told her that he was not going to give up on her and on their relationship so easily. He told her that he was going to be there making her happy every day. Suffice it to say, he kept his promise.

Today she was happy to be standing, to be alive and to be wearing the most beautiful Vera Wang wedding dress she has ever seen for the very simple wedding she was having. Due to chemotherapy, some sessions of radiation and changes on her lifestyle Mercedes was sporting a different look. Gone were her beautiful, luscious curls and her curves were not as pronounced as before. For some of her friends, Mercedes looked like the new Jennifer Hudson, sporting a cute pixie haircut. Still, a very hot look for everyone that knew her, especially her future husband. She wiped her tears and reapplied her makeup, when she walked back to the hotel room it was time to put on the veil and work on the final touches. She felt someone's hand on her shoulder.

"Let me help you, chica!" Santana said as she grabbed Mercedes' veil. "Why so serious?"

"It's nothing, Santana. I'd been thinking about how I am not supposed to be standing here today according to the science and the medicine." She bashfully smiled.

"Girl, shut it. We all knew you were going to become a walking miracle." She said as she finally fixed Mercedes' veil. "I'm glad you kept fighting and I know that you will keep on fighting now that you are going to become Mrs. Evans."

"Mrs. Evans… Wow! It feels so surreal."

"I know. But, damn girl it took you long enough to marry Guppy Face!"

They laughed.

"Mercy, there's something I need to confess."

"What is it, San?"

Santana choked up.

"San, please don't cry." Mercedes requested.

"I have a lot of feelings. When you first told me about what was happening I was so mad I wanted to go all Lima Heights on people."

"Why?"

"First of all, Brittany and I were the last ones to find out. Gosh! Even Puckerman found out before us." Santana whined.

"Santana, Puck is one of Sam's best friends. He called him the next day after we spoke to everyone here in the city and in my defense, I did call you several times but I couldn't get a hold of you until the day I did." Mercedes appealed.

"So, I don't care. Learning about it a week later hurt."

"Even Lord Tubbington was upset." Brittany said walking inside Mercedes' room bringing the bouquet. "But he also said that you were going to make it to your wedding day and here we are."

Mercedes laughed.

Meanwhile, in the lobby Sam was having wedding nerves, not because he was having cold feet, but because he wanted everything to be perfect. He had been waiting for this day since he first started dating Mercedes. That meant that today needed to be perfect because it was the most important day of their lives. Sam paced back and forth; he was on the phone taking care of some last minute details. When he hung up, he ran into Puck, Mike, Finn and Joe.

"Dude, take it easy. If you keep this rhythm, you are not going to make it. The wedding is in four hours." Puck said throwing his arm over Sam's shoulder.

"Puck, you don't understand." Sam stated.

"I think I do. You are tying the knot with Mercedes."

Sam and Mike, who married Tina over the summer, gave Puck a very judgmental look. Puck was the typical womanizer but everybody knew that the only girl he had always wanted is Quinn, but she was always been distant around him, not that she was not interested but she did not want to be part of his list.

"Puck, I am marrying the girl I've been with for almost seven years. For me this marks the beginning of my life as an adult. We are becoming an official family." Sam stated.

"Look… I get it. What I meant is that you don't need to be nervous because you are marrying you soul mate, who I know loves you with the same intensity you love her. I'm not good at these things but I when things are real. I'm not that stupid."

They all laughed and Sam felt a bit calmer.

Four hours passed and Mercedes was walking down the aisle, full of smiles and tears. They opted but for a small wedding, where the guests were their families, their friends from McKinley High and some close friends from the city. Quinn served as the maid of honor, with Puck as the best man. Everyone noticed that after all these years something was going on between the two. After the awaited exchange of vows and I do's, they all moved to an elegantly decorated ballroom to enjoy the reception. Everyone was in high spirits and the newly married couple was smiling like two kids on Christmas morning. Mercedes felt more alive than she had ever felt; she was living her dream, something she never thought she was going to live. Yes, she always had hope but she kept that hope grounded.

While dancing with her husband, she said,

"Thank you."

Sam looked a bit confused. "For what?"

"For letting me love you all this time. For making me feel loved and wanted. For everything you have done and for everything you will do." Mercedes said, resting her head on his chest.

Sam kissed the top of her head and said,

"You don't have to thank me for something that is natural in me. I love you with all my heart, soul and body. I belong to you and it will always be that way. Thanks for not letting me go when you thought everything between us was lost. Thanks for believing that what we have is everlasting."

Mercedes was sobbing.

"I love you, Mercedes Evans!"

"I love you, Samuel Evans!"

They kissed tenderly attracting the attention of the guests that erupted in cheers for the newlyweds. It was definitely the best day of their lives.

XXXXX

For their honeymoon, they decided to go to Mexico for a few days, since they got Dr. Sloan's authorization. Even though Mercedes looked recuperated, her leukemia was not officially in remission and to avoid any relapse she needed to continue her treatment until its consolidation.

Cancun was beautiful, relaxing and romantic. They did exactly what every newlywed couple does on their honeymoon, nights of continuous sex, sightseeing and other activities. They took tons of pictures to show to their families and friends.

It was their last night in Cancun and they were having dinner at one of the hotel's restaurants. The atmosphere was lovely. Something they both loved about the Mexican people was their passion for everything, especially when it came to music. They loved every second the mariachi serenaded the patrons at the restaurant. Sam could not understand the words but seeing how happy Mercedes was, was enough for him to keep the smile on his face.

He grabbed Mercedes hand and said,

"Mercy, this is our last night here and something inside me can't wait to be home but I wanted to tell you that in my life I have never been so happy and I owe this happiness to you. No one or nothing can compare to you or the memories we have built through the years. You are my one and only and it will always be that way."

She smiled. "I know, Sam. I know. I know that because it is the exact way I feel about you."

They enjoyed the rest of their night and in the morning; they took the flight back to New York ready to face their reality.

XXXXX

**Sam's POV**

'_Six years, Six years that felt like an eternity. However, all the sacrifices I made, the time I neglected her, even though she was more than understanding had finally paid off. Today is the day I begin my life as a professional in the medical industry. Mentored by someone that knows all my ordeals; helping people that I could relate to and help the best way I can. Working hand by hand with Dr. Sloan is going to be a great privilege.' _I kept thinking over and over again. Medical school sucked at my life, my time and it made me feel like a horrible husband to Mercedes.

"Sam, you're going to be late. Hurry up!" Mercedes said as she walked inside the room.

"I know. I am just a bit nervous. What if I don't match Dr. Sloan's expectations?"

Mercedes grabbed me by the waist and looked dead into my eyes. "Dr. Evans, you are going to be just fine; just go and do everything you've learned all these years but most importantly, do it with your heart on it." Mercedes said.

"Are you going to be alright while I'm gone?" He said as he grabbed his keys.

"Yes. Quinn is coming over to visit."

"Oh, I totally forgot. The play date."

"Exactly. I am going to be very busy keeping Beth and Dianna in place."

I kissed Mercedes on the forehead and left for my first day at the clinic.

While driving around the city I could not help but smile.

"_Wow, I can't believe that Mercedes has been by my side more time than people and medicine ever thought. She was a fighter, she was my fighter that against all odds and predictions made me the happiest man in the planet almost four years ago when she told me she was pregnant and almost nine months later our bundle of joy, Dianna Isabelle Evans came into our lives. Damn, I am one lucky guy." _He thought and with that positive thought, he found the strength and courage he needed to face his first day as an oncologist.

When I arrived at the clinic, nerves were threatening to take over me but I did all those breathing exercises I practiced with Mercedes during her pregnancy classes. People were giving me all these strange looks but I did not care at all. Walking into Dr. Sloan office this time had a complete different meaning to me. This time I was going to be working with him and Dr. Grey instead of accompanying Mercedes to her check-up or chemo sessions. Things were definitely looking up.

"Welcome Dr. Evans, it's good to have you here." One of the secretaries said.

I smiled. Being referred to as Doctor Evans was going to take some adjustment.

"Sam, welcome! Are you ready for you first day?" A cheerful Doctor Sloan greeted me.

"As ready as I'll ever be." I answered.

The first days were hectic for me; there was so much I still needed to learn but the satisfactions I got from interacting with the patients confirmed me that becoming a doctor was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

**Mercedes' POV**

While I waited for Quinn and Beth, the fruit of her marriage to Puck, I decided to get in the kitchen and get some snacks together for the girls with the energy I had left. The past weeks have been a bit difficult for me because I have been feeling tired all the time. It felt like all those symptoms I felt when I was diagnosed originally were making a comeback. I was scared but I needed to get one doubt clear up before I went into panic mode. After getting everything fixed in the kitchen she sat on her sofa,

"Mommy! When is Beth coming?" A happy, yet impatient Dianna asked me. Dianna was the perfect blend of us. She got my nose and the form of eyes, but the color was all Sam's beautifully green. Her lips were just like Sam's, too. Also, people thought she got her height from him, she was almost four but physically looked like a 5 year-old.

"Di, she's going to be here soon. Be patient." She gave me the cutest pout I have ever seen. Her personality was all me.

Minutes later, a light knock on the door was heard and Dianna started to jump on the sofa.

" Mommy, Mommy… They're here!" she squealed.

I opened the door and Beth ran inside the apartment. Gone were the silence and peace. Dianna and Beth started making messes in a matter of seconds.

"Quinn, it's so good to see you." I hugged her.

"It's so good to see you, too! How's Sam?" She said as I guided her to the living room.

"He's good. Today is his first day at the clinic. Quinn, I am so proud of him. After everything we've been through and he still managed to accomplish everything he wanted."

"Mercedes, he's an excellent guy and he deserves all these amazing things and so do you for being his inspiration to achieve them. By the way, here's the thing you asked me to buy for you."

She handed me the paper bag.

"Thanks."

She looked at me seriously and said, "Have you talk to Sam about this?"

"No. I don't want to worry him. I need to get all my answers first, that's how it has been between us."

"Well let's get something now." Quinn demanded.

After a lot of hesitation, I decided to face my demons and take the test. The test, whose response could be one of the biggest news of my life or the one that could destroy all my hopes. After I got the answer, it took me quite some time to tell Sam what I discovered that day but I did not hold the news for long because I needed some medical confirmation and he needed to be there for me to deal with whatever our new reality was going to be.

XXXXX

Life could not get any better for Sam and Mercedes, after what she thought was going to be a scary moment some time ago; they confirmed that Mercedes was pregnant with their second child. Since Mercedes was not going into any kind of aggressive treatment, this pregnancy was smoother than the first one. Helping a very overprotective Sam concentrate in his successful medical practice and for both of them to adjust to the fact that little Dianna was going to Pre-K at Constance. For almost her entire pregnancy, Mercedes got involved in different charities around the city and was constantly invited to give some motivational speeches to other women facing what she was already a pro with. Moments like those were the ones that made her reminisced on all the blessings she has been given so far. Yes, she had the possibility of a relapse but she remembered that a long time ago she made a promise to herself to live every day with a smile on her face.

Sam and Mercedes were more in love with each other with each passing day; people that did not know anything about them thought they were newlyweds. They acted so carefree and comfortable around each other, like the true friends they have always been since the day they met. They were a true example of what to expect from life when love is the motor of it. Also, they were surrounded by people that fed them with good vibes and love that helped them deal with the different bumps couples face through marriage and parenthood.

Together they learned about love, respect, forgiveness, honesty and happiness but also, they learned about sadness, tribulations and sorrows. Together years ago, they embarked in an unknown journey that led them to where they were today. They certainly did not knew what life had in store for them and they knew they still had a lot to live and lot to learn but the love they had for each other, their daughter and the baby they had on the way was going to help them find the way to happiness through the unknown roads of life.

* * *

**A/N: I want to thank all the readers for the support... Every feedback I got from the story really made me happy and help with my inspiration. I wouldn't make it without any of the kind words you guys left me update after update...**

**To Rose... There are not words that could describe my gratitude to you, you are simply amazing... **

**Until Next Time... **

**PS. I have a new story up, You Belong With Me... Check it out!**

**Blessings & Love...**


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